
Study suggests drunk people are better at creative problem solving - anigbrowl
https://hbr.org/2018/05/drunk-people-are-better-at-creative-problem-solving
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ultim8k
Why do people need excuses for doing things they enjoy?

I'm fed up with studies that say drinking makes you creative, coffee makes you
smarter and chocolate makes you live longer or whatever.

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misja111
So the benefit of being slightly drunk is that it removes your focus, so that
you might find creative solutions which until then where outside of your
radar.

I guess that's true, but don't you get the same effect by having a long walk
or a good night's sleep?

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foota
I'm confused, how would getting a night's sleep decrease focus?

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hobofan
During your waking day, when you think about a problem you start tackling it
with a specific strategy and accumulate thoughts (assumptions) regarding those
strategies. Even if you discard them over the course of your day, you are
still biased/focused towards that train of thought.

A good night's sleep which takes your mind out of conscious thought then
resets/defocuses your mind again and you are more receptible to new ways of
tackling the problem.

(All of the above is just vague anecdotal evidence, and I have no idea if
there is any scientific basis for any of it.)

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keithpeter
_The Psychology of Invention in the Mathematical Field_ by Jacques Hadamard,
himself a mathematician is not scientific but a good source of anecdotes and
systematic attempts at introspection.

I find that 'stepping away' from the details after immersion for a few days
and allowing the pieces to re-align themselves does seem to pay benefits, even
with the mundane and practical problems I need to solve. I agree with the
grandparent post that alcohol is not the only de-focusing agent around.

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polskibus
I hope Google et.al. will attempt to replicate this finding on a larger scale
internally. Imagine whole SV jumping on to that bandwagon!

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megaman22
The quest for the Ballmer Peak is a dangerous endeavor.

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lokopodium
This sounds right, but for me the lucid problem-solving window is too short to
be useful. Then I get sleepy and irritated.

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vinayms
I don't drink, smoke or do narcotics, so I have no first hand account to agree
or disagree with the veracity of this study. However, what I have experienced
is sleep deprivation (not insomnia but self induced sleep deprivation because
there is just not enough time to do stuff) makes me creative. I find solutions
that are innovative, out of the box, laterally thought etc to problems that
keep bugging me (I don't mean just programming or software problems). The
strange thing is, the solutions come out of nowhere, like a divine inspiration
or something.

And just like being drunk, the sleep deprivation, at least to me, causes
noticeable loss in physical strength, makes me irritable and generally less
socially convivial, causes gas, heart burn and bad breath, even shows signs of
the dreaded ED, but the benefit of solution epiphany makes me want to go
through it often. I know its bad for the health, so, now that I am over 35, I
use it quite sparingly, only to problems that I estimate are really worth it.

The epiphany thing doesn't need sleep deprivation and there are several 'aha
moments' in the normal state. I am sure most people who routinely ponder on
problems have had this experience. But the quality of solutions and the thrill
it provides makes the Sleep Deprived Solution Epiphany (tm) quite a
stimulating and almost spiritual experience. I feel refreshed and more
confident in my abilities after an episode.

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haZard_OS
Given just how many variables are at play and how imprecise the categories of
problem-solving are, a study with a sample size of 20 is...unconvincing.

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cloakandswagger
Having just ventured over from the topic about the beneficial effects of
psychedelics, I can't help but notice in the comments how the potential
benefits of psychedelics are taken as indisputable fact while a similar
article about alcohol is met with skepticism and denial.

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cconcepts
My confirmation bias is telling me that this is definately true.

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polskibus
Mad Men is a whole TV series devoted to this hypothesis.

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Hoasi
The best advertising copywriters are old drunks, that is just a fact.

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jasonm23
Best way to rephrase the post title...

Brutally honest people are better at creative problem solving.

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DoreenMichele
Thank you for this. This resonates with me.

I don't drink, but I'm _too truthful to be good_. I'm also good at creative
problem solving.

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Maarten88
Just after science made clear there is no safe amount for drinking alcohol, we
get this study, feeding us a new feel-good / excuse story for drinking.

Maybe I'm being cynical, but who paid for this research?

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MrBuddyCasino
Your cynicism is warranted:

„Federal Agency Courted Alcohol Industry to Fund Study on Benefits of Moderate
Drinking“

[https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/17/health/nih-alcohol-
study-...](https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/17/health/nih-alcohol-study-liquor-
industry.html)

~~~
xor1
Cynicism is always warranted IMO.

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oOo0oOo
[https://www.xkcd.com/323/](https://www.xkcd.com/323/)

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keithnoizu
Ballmer's curve strikes again.

