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Thought for today:
‘I never knew I had an inventive talent until Phrenology told me so. I was a stranger to myself until then!’
— Thomas Edison
#thoughtfortoday #belief #phrenology #inventive #creative #Edison #stranger #inventor #lightbulb #coach
Phrenology was (and most assuredly, it belongs in the past), the “science” which involves the measurement of bumps on the skull to predict mental traits. Wikipedia describes it as a pseudoscience.
Part of me thinks that if it had been invented in the social media age, there would be a large body of people arguing that the shape of your skull could predict your behaviour and thoughts.
After all, Thomas Edison believed in it, and he turned out OK in the end!
The causal link that suggests his knowledge of his inventiveness is due to phrenology is of course a fallacy. He had the inventiveness already and could have discovered in a number of ways – not least by inventing things.
He is reported to have said that he did not fail 400 times, just found 400 ways to NOT make a lightbulb.
The thing is, Thomas Edison didn’t invent the lightbulb anyway – an Englishman did (Warren de la Rue).
What do you think we believe in today that will turn out to be a fallacy? Or are we all so much smarter and more questioning (at least academically)?
