Insight

Last week when we were doing our problem solving unit I came across an article that I found pretty interesting. It begins with a story about a fire fighter who is placed with an impossible situation. He and his team were fighting a forest fire and just when it seemed like he was going to be trapped in the flames, he had an insight. He was able to lie on the ground, the fire went over him and he was left unharmed. The article goes on to discuss how the brain's process for insight and quick problem solving skills is very complex. The brain first searches for answers in the logic centers of the brain (left hemisphere). If the problem is difficult the brain accesses the centers for insight (right hemisphere). To get insights though, you generally have to be relaxed. This explains why most insights come when the mind is at ease. Finally, the article talks about how there is a lot of criticism for corporate team building because they take people away from work. But when you think about it this makes sense because if the brain is able to relax, the employees will have a better chance to solve their most difficult problems with insights. I thought this article did a good job putting the things we talked about in class into real life situations.

http://ezinearticles.com/?Teambuilding-Insights-and-Problem-Solving---How-the-Brain-Cracks-the-Puzzles&id=2009339