The Angst Theory of Creativity, Applied Examples

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This post is an introduction to a theory about one of my favorite subjects, creativity. It's going to be a bit out of context and clunky. I'm lifting it out of what was essentially a conversation. But I like it as an improvisation on the theme. Let me attempt to set the situation:

Over at MacDailyNews.com this past week we had been jabbering about a bizarro rumor that General Motors is considering Tim Cook of Apple for the position of CEO. (Good luck with that GM. Not gonna happen.) One of the members at MDN had not understood my concept of what should happen to GM before Tim Cook might give the idea a second glance. In a series of three replies I wrote him back what I have posted below. It gives a reasonable applied summary of how I view the capitalist company life cycle as well as how I view governments and similar political organizations. Some graphics, including a couple I tossed together as elaborative efforts, are included. Enjoy!

:-Derek

Jan 03, 10 - 07:49 pm Comment from: derekcurrie

G4Dualie sez to me: "Who do you imagine is the person(s) to bring about this miraculous change to GM before Cook gives that idea a look over?"

I think you need to read what I wrote again please.

Elaboration of my point: GM is a walking corpse.

For over 30 years they outright REFUSED to catch up with the international auto business. AFAIAC they have been in the pocket of Big Oil. Anything to sell more gasoline. That meant essentially:

(1) Buy and Bury all the patents for significantly improving fuel efficiency.

(2) Sell as many gigantic oil guzzling cars as possible via marketing methods and subterfuge injected into the US car culture making smaller, fuel efficient cars seem unAmerican, flimsy and dangerous, despite the fact that the rest of the world uses them with great success.

(3) Act all concerned about becoming modern to the public, solicit ideas, ignore the public, claim to have modernized, sell the SOS to the suckers.

GM killed off innovation motivation inside their own company. If they finally, 30 years too late, figured out how to actually be a modern car company, it would be IMHO a frickin' MIRACLE.

Conclusion:

(A) GM must go bankrupt and break up the company.

(B) Out of the wreckage, an actually innovative entrepreneur could grab up pieces of what USED TO BE GM, and use them as part of a NEW car company. THEN I could see Tim Cook being interested.

New companies are required to be innovation driven. They can start their work culture from scratch. Those that don't fit the positive work culture are not hired. That 'locks out' the self-destructive GM workforce dumdums from sabotaging the new company. Instead they can collect unemployment then go flip burgers for a living.

Do you get the concept now?

Marketing driven companies, such as GM, that have permanently lost the ability to innovate, will die. The sooner the better. Only then can a phoenix rise from the wreckage as a viable, modern company of benefit to the market. This is an ancient cycle, older than human history. You can go back to basic, instinctive concepts of human sharing and understand how this applies. Steve Jobs himself has spoken about how this works, which is one reason he is such a stubborn bastard at Apple when it comes to breaking old molds, smashing the box and boldly going where no one has gone before.


It all fits into what I call 'The Angst Theory of Creativity'. As I put it:

The Muse is not impressed with comfort.


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Jan 03, 10 - 08:06 pm Comment from: derekcurrie

... And no, I have no idea what entrepreneur could make a silk purse out of the sow's ear of the bankrupt, sold off wreckage of GM. You maybe? It could be no one. That happens too.

Happily there is already great competition in the car marketplace. I've owned Toyota and Subaru cars. Love them. My ex loves her Hondas. Sorry they're not American made. Neither is Apple hardware these days. Quality wins in any healthy marketplace. Thankfully all of the above are quality.

And no, I don't consider the computer community to be particularly healthy considering the domination of crapware, such as Microsoft. We are still in The Computer Stone Age. Think of it as a Dark Age where dumbass aristocraps get to tell you what to do, like fall on your sword for the sake of the divine king. Think of Apple as analogous to the USA telling King George to go f*ck himself, establishing a golden age.

Extrapolating into the futurist abstract: Then think of the Neo-Con-Jobs as the marketing morons who infiltrated the company and destroyed its Innovation Incentive, creating a self-destructive work culture of bumbling idiots incessantly undermining each other with lies and bullsh*t, getting nothing of any importance accomplished. Think of the current USA as GM.

Get the picture?

The nexus: Either GM (USA) gets an entrepreneur (innovator) to kick the company (country) into competition/collaboration mode, or the company (country) should go bankrupt ASAP and let something angst driven (creative) replace it.

Such is my Positive Anarchist philosophy.
;-)







. . .

Jan 03, 10 - 08:18 pm Comment from: derekcurrie

... Where I developed and watched my Angst Theory first hand: Eastman Kodak. It's a textbook case.

OK, OK! I'll shutup now.

©2010 Derek Currie
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