The Psychology of Money - An Investment Manager\'s Guide to Beating the Market

169

CHAPTER

19

“C” Is for Change Gears

Genius is eternal patience.

—Michelangelo

Patience is a necessary ingredient of genius.

—Benjamin Disraeli

Change gears. Some of us get our best ideas while driving or jog-

ging or showering. Albert Einstein used to wonder why he got his

niftiest thoughts while shaving. One woman in a workshop said

that she got her best ideas while walking in circles around a con-

ference room and talking out loud, periodically stopping to jot

something on a flip chart. Hey, whatever works.

Changing gears refers to moving from the high-paced, focused

mode to the slower-paced, flexible mode. The comedian John Cleese,

in a short video on creativity, refers to these two modes as “closed”

and “open.” They are both useful. Left-brainers tend to live in the

closed mode, right-brainers in the open. When working on a dead-

line, the closed mode is ideal. Head down, door closed, no inter-

ruptions. The last thing you want when you’re in this mode is some

“idea” person butting in and saying, “Have you thought about

... .” Throw a heavy paperweight at them and make a mental note
to mail-bomb their PCs—later.

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