“Dreams, puns, elisions, plays on words and similar tricks that we ordinarily think of as frivolous, all play a surprising and somewhat disconcerting role in the communication of important and serious feelings.” ThinkingImportantPlayFeelingsDreamRolesSeriousCommunicationTricksSurprisingFrivolousPunPlay On Words Book:The Wisdom of Milton H. Erickson: Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy Source: The Wisdom of Milton H. Erickson: Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy
“The most important thing in comedy - apart from empathy, which I think is important even if disguised - is surprise. I like surprising people with the fact that something's even a joke at all.” PeopleIfsThinkingImportantFactsComedyEmpathyJokesImportant ThingsSurpriseSurprising Author:Ricky Gervais
“After the initial critical learning period of youth is over, the areas of the brain that need to be 'turned on' to allow enhanced, long lasting learning can only be activated when something important, surprising, or novel occurs, or if we make the effort to pay close attention.” IfsNeedsLongImportantEffortPayAttentionBrainKnowledgeNovelYouthPeriodsAreasCriticalLastingSurprisingInitialsLong Lasting Author:Norman Doidge
“I find Chinese debates about their political system domestically, but also about China's claims in the international system, to be among the most original and surprising and exciting of our time. The starting point is a system that none of us had anticipated, which I call Leninist capitalism, but also obviously because it is the most important emerging power. The question of China's relations with the United States in particular, and the rest of the world in general, is the question of war and peace in the 21st century.” WorldImportantWarStatesPoliticalUnitedUnited StatesCenturyParticularCapitalismExcitingClaimsRelationOriginalsStartingInternationalChinaDebateChineseOur TimeSurprising21st CenturyEmergingPolitical SystemsStarting Point Author:Timothy Garton Ash