Ideation is the process of generating ideas, concepts, or insights. It’s the mental act that allows us to make sense of the world, understand others, and form hypotheses about people we’ve not met in person. This makes an average person formulate thought-out details about others from afar. Usually, these preconceived notions aren’t necessarily exact. They are rather protracted expectations derived from nuances or well-curated hints.
Interestingly, we don’t have to meet people face-to-face before ideation manifests. At least not now that we thrive in a world where remote connection is the new normal. The virtual space gives a different twist to ideation. Social footprints are now subtle cues to the intrinsic features of our personalities. As such, this brings to light idealistic profiling— a result of the incredible power of the human imagination.
Being in the digital realm, we often leave trails that relay intricate parts of ourselves. Social profiles and online reviews (although sometimes unreliable) are vital elements for ideation. From these insights, we can learn about people’s hobbies, professions, interests, opinions, and values. In some cases, however, it’s often the minutest of cues we have access to. Yet they suffice to curl up factual points about others.
Ideation gives room for the evolution of perceptions into accepted communal beliefs. When this happens, it’s often from an over-time observation giving rise to a seeming objective fact. Those who wear glasses make great examples of this illustration. An average person is more likely to see someone in this category as nerdy. Whether that is true or not is not the crux of this discussion. Instead, this is a glimpse at how individualistic views compound into conventional or societal beliefs.
Bottom line?
Sometimes, ideation prompts unnecessary expectations that make people uneasy with themselves. Let’s examine the previously cited example. As societal constructs dictate, a person using glasses might always feel on edge not meeting certain intellectual standards. That’s just not a worthy price to pay for trying to see!
The bias of ideation is a major challenge to the fine concept. Our perceptions many a time are tainted by experiences, stereotypes, and beliefs. These are strong influencers of notions and hereby things to be conscious of. Before upholding perspectives, we must seek several viewpoints that counter our assumptions. These open us to more learning and evaluation whilst broadening our horizons.
Empathy and Ideation
As a skillset, ideation, a sequel to empathy is crucial. For effective profiling, we must put ourselves in the shoes of others. This enables us to view things as they would thereby, bridging the gap between physical distance and emotional connection.
In the corporate world, empathy allows for optimal management of business-customer relationships. A customer representative harnesses empathy while addressing clients’ issues. This spurs the right solutions and responses to certain problems that would otherwise be complicated to resolve.
In conclusion, ideation is a fascinating aspect of human cognition. Beyond being in the know about others, it’s an essential aspect of human creativity and innovation. Also, it’s a bedrock of other concepts like intuition, critical thinking, problem-solving, and mind mapping. When done correctly, ideation should earn us a meaningful human-to-human connection.
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