5 Strategies to Develop Interdisciplinary Thinking
Innovate Through Blending Ideas
Introduction
Interdisciplinary thinking allows us to make connections across academic fields, blending knowledge from our diverse interests and areas of expertise. This synthesizing of concepts from multiple disciplines can lead to creative breakthroughs and innovations.
Great thinkers like Leonardo da Vinci and Marie Curie exemplified this potential, excelling in art, engineering, science, and invention by bridging ideas from disparate domains. As our world becomes increasingly complex, interdisciplinary skills are crucial for spurring the integrative insights that shape the future.
Diversify Your Media Consumption
Actively seek out information sources beyond your normal interests. Subscribe to niche publications and podcasts on topics you want to learn more about. For example, if you are interested in robotics, subscribe to MIT’s Automaton newsletter. Or if you want to learn about biotech, follow Singularity University’s news.
Consume media from specialty outlets covering specific domains. This exposure to diverse ideas outside your focus kindles curiosity and forges contextual connections. It flexes your ability to link concepts across subjects.
Talk to Experts Outside Your Field
Make an effort to ask questions and understand how people in other disciplines see the world. For instance, if you are an engineer, talk to a biologist. If you are a business analyst, speak with an architect.
These conversations build communication and perspective-taking skills valuable for integrating ideas. You can cross-pollinate insights between fields and identify intersections ripe for innovation.
Take Classes in Unrelated Topics
Look into taking workshops or classes in topics outside your expertise. University general education courses provide one model for gaining basic knowledge across disciplines.
For example, study music theory to strengthen pattern recognition. Or learn philosophy to improve critical thinking. Combining old knowledge in new ways builds mental agility and adaptability.
Develop “Cognitive Friction” with Mini-Sabbaticals
Plan time away from your normal field to fully immerse in a different environment. For a week or a month, dive into learning new skills outside your comfort zone.
This creative friction between your existing perspectives and new modes of thinking sparks breakthroughs. Return to your work with an outsider’s fresh insights.
Cultivate Beginner’s Mind
Cultivating beginner’s mindset prevents rigid thinking. Approach problems with an openness and curiosity unconstrained by limiting assumptions. Maintain a childlike wish to understand without prejudice.
This mental plasticity allows you to make unexpected connections across disciplines. Blend technical skills from one field with creative skills from another. New synergies emerge.
Conclusion
Interdisciplinary thinking CONNECTS concepts across academia and experience. It SYNTHESIZES our diverse knowledge. And it CATALYZES innovation through the creative friction between ideas. By actively cultivating our own inner da Vincis, we can nurture the integrative insights that shape the future.
If you enjoyed this article, and want a more in depth view on interdisciplinary thinking, listen to the podcast episode it was based on.
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