From Seth Godin’s blog:

Without a doubt, the ability to connect the dots is rare, prized and valuable. Connecting dots, solving the problem that hasn’t been solved before, seeing the pattern before it is made obvious, is more essential than ever before.

Why then, do we spend so much time collecting dots instead? More facts, more tests, more need for data, even when we have no clue (and no practice) in doing anything with it.

I think we all have a predisposition to collecting something.  Maybe it’s part of our commercial culture.  Maybe it’s something deeper.  For some students (current or life-long), it manifests itself as jumping through hoops for good prizes that supposedly exist in discrete spaces.  This ought not be, but it’s a difficult trend to push against.

There are dots everywhere.  Collect them if you want.  But point me to the people who can connect them.

You can read more of Godin’s thoughts everyday here.