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1-Page Summary of The Element
“The Element”
Gillian had trouble sitting still in class and staying focused. She was disruptive, so her teachers thought she would do better in a special school. This is before ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) became common knowledge. Gillian’s mother took her to a psychologist who did some tests and recommended that she go to dance school because it would help her focus better on the tasks at hand. This is how Gillian Lynne got started as a dancer and choreographer for Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical productions of Cats and The Phantom of the Opera.
When Gillian discovered dance, she found her Element. This is the intersection of interest and ability. If you find your Element, you will be happier, more fulfilled and successful in life. However, many people don’t know how to find their Element or they feel that they’ve lost their chance at happiness by a certain age.
When you’re in your element, you connect with yourself and feel good about what you do. Being in your element is different for everyone, but the process of reaching that state is universal. You need to have aptitude and passion as well as the right attitude and opportunity. Aptitude is a natural ability; some people are naturally gifted at math while others prefer painting or drawing. It’s important to discover your strengths so that you can reach your full potential. However, being in your element requires more than just talent—you also need to be passionate about what you do because if it isn’t something that you love doing, then it won’t make sense for anyone else either.”
People who love their work often describe themselves as lucky. However, luck isn’t just a happy accident. It’s also driven by your attitude and how you approach the opportunities that come your way in life. For example, if you’re determined to find what makes you happy and pursue it, then good things will happen because of that determination.
Lessons Not Taught in School
Although there are many great teachers, the system of education that they’re working in is flawed. This happens because schools emphasize critical thinking and reasoning, rank math higher than languages or art, and use standardized tests to measure intelligence.
Most people think about intelligence in a certain way. The idea that intelligence is fixed and can be measured has its roots in Greek philosophy, which focused on logic and reasoning. As the scientific method developed, scholars had to prove theories with observations they could document through human senses.
Alfred Binet never intended the IQ test to measure a person’s worth or imply that intelligence is static. The IQ test only measures a person’s ability with certain types of math and verbal reasoning. Today, many specialists are re-examining popular notions about intelligence. Howard Gardner has proposed that humans have multiple intelligences including linguistic, musical, mathematical, spatial, kinesthetic (movement), interpersonal (relationships with others) and intrapersonal (knowledge and understanding of the self). Clearly human cognition is diverse dynamic and distinctive.
Creativity’s Broad Reach
People view creativity in terms of academic intelligence, and most people believe that only special people can be creative. They also think that creativity is limited to certain artistic mediums (painting or dancing), but you can become more creative by applying your intelligence and imagination to your work.
Creativity is “applied imagination.” It’s entirely internal. The creative process has some common features across disciplines, but it also varies from discipline to discipline. Some ideas arrive fully formed, while others need nurturing before they can be realized. You should mull over your original idea and consider various alternatives. Choose which options work best for you. Test your theory to refine your approach and build on the work of people in your field so that you can hit roadblocks less often and experience joy when you reach success more quickly than if you had worked alone.
