Welcome once again to Fandango’s Provocative Question. Each week I will pose what I think is a provocative question for your consideration. I missed posting last week’s provocative question because I was busy hosting out-of-town guests and didn’t have time to come up with one. But I’m back this week.
Anyway, by provocative, I don’t mean a question that will cause annoyance or anger. Nor do I mean a question intended to arouse sexual desire or interest.
What I do mean is a question that is likely to get you to think, to be creative, and to provoke a response. Hopefully a positive response.
Some very smart people claim that there is nothing new under the sun. Now I’m not normally one to reference The Bible, but in the Book of Ecclesiastes, the author complains frequently about the meaninglessness and monotony of life. One entire passage reads, “That which has been is what will be, that which is done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun.”
And this got me wondering whether or not there is, in fact, nothing new under the sun. I’ve wondered aloud about this before, in a post I wrote back in April 2018, where I discussed the Original Thought Theory. It suggests that anything anyone can ever think of has already been thought of by someone else. That seems to imply that human life is one big “been there, done that.”
So my provocative question this week is:
Are there limits to human creativity? Is it be possible for humans to create something completely novel and new that is based on nothing that previously existed? Or is human creativity just rearranging and building on previous ideas?
If you choose to participate, write a post with your response to the question. Once you are done, tag your post with #FPQ and create a pingback to this post if you are on WordPress. Or you can simply include a link to your post in the comments.
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This, That, and the Other 
Whoah, Fandango what a truly awesome question! Very nicely done good sir! I know, l know what you are going to ask – “Well Rory, are you going to answer it, or just say ‘nice question?’ Which is another truly excellent question … maybe.
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So? Are you?
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Am l what Fandango? My memory is short, are you referring to what l asked earlier of myself via you, because if you are l have forgotten that and probably will not remember till tomorrow when l probably have it pegged in to both answer and create 🙂
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My “are you” question was in response to your statement, “Well Rory, are you going to answer it, or just say ‘nice question’?” Feel free to ignore my question.
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Yes, tomorrow 🙂
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Your question reminds me of a quote from the 1995 film ‘Strange Days’
Max: You know how I know it’s the end of the world? Everything’s already been done. Every kind of music’s been tried. Every kind of government’s been tried, every f**king hairstyle, bubble gum flavors, you know, breakfast cereal. What are we going to do? How are we going to make another thousand years? I’m telling you, man, it’s over. We used it all up.
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So, according to Max, there IS nothing new under the sun!
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According to Max… Personally I don’t know if we have invented every bubblegum flavour yet?
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Everything already was, is, and will be. So the concept of ‘creating’ anything is meaningless. The most we can do is notice things. But there is lots to notice.
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Excellent answer Brutus and spot on.
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There is a lot to notice, indeed.
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Such a broad question which at first triggered a gut jerking defiant response but as the dust settles really poses a very valid question. Must sit on it awhile.
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Take your time, my friend.
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As one who relies on creativity and fostering it in my students, I don’t like the internal debate that I am having. 🥴😭
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Hey good morning to you my nutty friend, although it’s my afternoon – but hey so what?? I have just tagged you for 321 Quote Me with the topic of Going Nutty – enjoy 🙂
https://aguycalledbloke.blog/2019/10/23/321-quote-me-going-nutty/
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I guess there might be always things “new to you” even if they have been around all along, which should keep one busy and engaged with the world, not creating perhaps, but discovering.
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I like that. Even if you can create anything new, you can still discover new things for yourself.
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👍🏻
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Everything starts with an idea, be it original or used before. It’s where it goes from there that could be interesting……………………..
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But are there any truly original ideas left? An idea that has never been thought before?
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That is indeed the question Fandango, and all of the good ones are taken and tweaked a bit.
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I think there is always something new just waiting to be created, but it is getting harder and harder to create something completely new because there is already so much out there. But creativity is still alive and kicking. 🙂
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My contribution: http://sparksfromacombustiblemind.com/2019/10/23/fpq-after-a-fast/
Good to see you back btw! 🙂
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Thanks, Melanie. Good to be back!
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I hope I can find this tomorrow. It’s going to be a LONG day at the hospital tomorrow. When do I REALLY retire?
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Do what you gotta do, Marilyn. If you find the time, great. If not, they’ll be another provocative question next week.
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Here we go 🙂
https://aguycalledbloke.blog/2019/10/24/well-you-prompted-me/
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My pingback worked. Cool!
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