The Edge of a Chocolate Chip Cookie, The Creation of Navajo Rugs, and Hostage Negotiators: Why Imperfection and ‘Extreme Humanity’ Should Be Your Creative Secret Weapon - Not AI
The 3-Word Quote: “Perfection Isn’t Pleasing”
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1.
You are likely very busy this time of year.
Lots of rushing around, finishing work projects, running last-minute errands, and perhaps a night or two of holiday baking.
In some households and businesses, the baking leads to contests - gingerbread-building competitions and cookie-making contests to see who is crowned king.
But there is one cookie contest held years ago that psychologist Adam Ferrier conducted that you should be aware of - even if baking isn't your thing.
This contest was a psychological study, not an actual baking contest. It was a simple study, and the results went unpublished.
However, the findings are still widely discussed today.
Ferrier took two nearly identical cookies and placed them side by side.
He then gathered 626 study participants and asked one question: which of the two cookies do you prefer?
It was a simple study and a simple question.
But the results were surprising.
Sixty-six percent of the participants clearly liked one of the cookies over the other.
It was a convincing victory for one of the sweet treats.
But the reason that the winning cookie was selected should be a lesson for anyone who creates anything.
2.
Navajo weaving has been around for hundreds of years.
Traditional Navajo crafts and designs are widely respected and admired as the craftsmanship is phenomenal. Known primarily for their weaving skills, workers worldwide copy these Navajo designs.
The traditional designs often display geometric patterns that reflect nature and contain earth colors and vivid patterns.
Among weavers, the Navajo are considered among the best.
But despite centuries of practice, most designs are not considered perfect.
In fact, if you closely examine the rugs and tapestries, you'll find a flaw in most of the works.
What's unusual is that these slight flaws were created by design.
They were done purposely.
But why would master craftsmen and women purposely incorporate a mistake in their work?
3.
Leslie Edwards' occupation doesn't deal with chocolate chip cookies or beautiful textiles.
His job certainly involves something other than baking or weaving.
But it still might be considered an art.
Edwards is a hostage negotiator.
A former British Army officer, Edwards has helped negotiate the release of hostages worldwide, including aid workers, journalists, oil company executives, and children of wealthy business owners.
These life-or-death situations can take weeks or months to be resolved - and they take skill.
Kidnappings by criminal organizations occur frequently enough that the insurance industry has a subspecialty called K & R.
K & R stands for Kidnapping and Ransom, and according to a Guardian article, seventy-five percent of Fortune 500 companies pay for K & R insurance policies.
Ninety-seven percent of kidnappings are handled by professional negotiators and are resolved through ransom payment.
And thankfully, less than one percent of those kidnapped by criminal organizations are killed.
But in these negotiations, Edwards says there are rules to abide by.
Being cordial and professional, finding a middle ground, and not letting emotion take over are common sense guidelines dictating most negotiations.
But Edwards says there is one rule that always comes first before the actual negotiations can begin.
This first rule isn't surprising; it should also be applied to your work.
The Takeaway:
So what does a study comparing two similar chocolate chip cookies, Navajo rugs, and a hostage negotiator have in common?
All relate to what artists and creatives need to remember in the incoming age of AI - and always.
Showing humanity and flaws is often crucial to creative work.
Let me explain.
Adam Ferrier's study put two near-identical cookies in front of 626 people and asked them to select their favorite.
But the cookies weren't identical - they were nearly identical.
The only difference between the two cookies was that one had a rough, slightly bumpy edge to the cookie.
The other cookie had a perfectly round, smooth edge.
Participants had a simple choice: choose between a 'perfect' cookie and one with a bumpy, rough edge.
And one won convincingly.
And it wasn't the perfect cookie.
Two-thirds of the people selected the cookie that wasn't perfect. In fact, it was the cookie's imperfection that bolstered the cookie's appeal.
Ferrier determined that people purposely picked the flawed cookie because it looked homemade - it looked like it could have been baked in your house, in your kitchen - perhaps part of a family cookie contest.
In short, the bumpy-edged cookie looked like it was made by a person.
And that matters to consumers. And it should be important to creatives and businesses.
In a time where so many fields are being disrupted by Artificial Intelligence, when so many online classes are promising to perfect and improve your work with AI, and in a time where perfection is being peddled perpetually - people still prefer products created by people.
Because perfection can be a turn-off.
In fact, people will often choose imperfection.
But the imperfections they desire are flaws that show humanity. In essence, they are choosing products that are made by people, articles written by people, and art painted by people.
Obviously, most don't search out products with mistakes with regards to critical issues. Most don't desire inferior products; they desire artistic and creative products made by people.
The cookie study has been replicated multiple times and is an example of a bias known as the 'Pratfall Effect.'
The Pratfall Effect is psychologist Elliot Aronson's study that filmed an actor answering quiz questions.
The actor was given the answers, so he answered most of the questions correctly.
But after answering the questions, Aronson asked the actor to make it look like he was clumsy and to spill a cup of coffee on himself.
The spilling of his coffee - this purposeful act was his 'pratfall.'
After filming the actor, Aronson showed the video to a large group of students who were 'sectioned into cells.'
The students watched different versions of the film - one showed the actor spilling the coffee on himself; the other video did not.
Aronson then asked students which film the students liked better.
Students greatly preferred the actor when he spilled the coffee.
People empathized with the actor's mistake.
They connected with his humanity, not his perfection.
As one author said, maybe businesses and creators should 'flaunt their flaws' - studies clearly show this works.
***
And what of Navajo rugs?
These master weavers, in a way, are flaunting their flaws.
Their rugs aren't perfect on purpose.
Perhaps understanding the Pratfall Effect before it even had a name, the flaws in Navajo rugs were not done for commercial purposes - but were included to demonstrate their core beliefs.
The purposeful flaws are often a simple line of thread that stands out from the pattern, usually along the border of the art work. This line of thread is called a ‘spirit line.’ It is said that this spirit line allows the ‘trapped part of the weaver’s spirit to safely exit the rug.’
The Navajo believe that only God is perfect, so imperfection is often 'baked' into their art to show their humanity, to show that only God is perfect.
They have learned to "abandon this rigid and obsessive behavior and embrace the concept of imperfection."
These imperfections are often minor and don't detract from the function or beauty.
This is not relegated to the Navajo. Japan's concept of Wabi Sabi - where imperfection and impermanence are vital components of this style of art, is similar.
*****
Leslie Edwards is a hostage negotiator.
Nothing goes perfect in his world.
But he demands one thing from the hostage takers before his negotiations start.
And it's simple.
"Make sure they're alive first."
In other words, Edwards requires 'proof of life.'
He needs to know the hostage is unharmed and alive before proceeding with negotiations.
And when AI is offering to write flawless work and create perfect art, there will be consumers who demand the opposite:
These people will demand proof of life.
These people will require that there is a human behind the art and products.
These people will demand connection over perfection.
AI will continue to transform most industries. It will likely change your job or make it easier in some capacity. This is not debatable. It is happening now.
It is an amazing tool.
But don’t confuse where the magic comes from - it comes from the magician, not the wand. Sometimes, we need to spend more time working on becoming a better magician, not trying to find a better wand.
AI will help make things quicker, faster, and more perfect. But don't confuse this as helping you get better at your craft.
Having an idea for a novel and having AI write most of it for you does not make you a novelist.
To become a better writer or painter, you have to practice your craft, not writing perfect prompts that can be fed into ChatGPT.
Because in the world of artists, and writers, and painters, and weavers, people will eventually 'yearn to see your humanity' - flaws and all.
3 things before you go:
Watch: Dave Grohl’s (almost) perfect 2012 Grammy acceptance speech - talking about the importance of the human element in music (and art); short but important; he was criticized for this speech and had to clarify that he wasn’t knocking other music.
Watch: a ten minute slice of rock and blues heaven; a video of a Muddy Waters song with the Stones arriving late and then being called on stage for an impromptu performance; filmed in a tiny club in Chicago in 1981; as someone said in the comments, “this has to be the most rock&roll thing I’ve ever seen”
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See you in 2024! Cheers,
-Jeff