Insight for Creativity, Expression for Impact

Albert Einstein met Charlie Chaplin while visiting Los Angeles and the California Institute of Technology. Apparently Chaplin befriended Einstein and even took him to the opening of the movie, Modem Times. They arrived at the show in a limousine, and the car was quickly surrounded by fans. Though he was at this point somewhat of a public figure, Einstein was not accustomed to the crowd that was drawn to Chaplin on opening night, and he asked his friend, does it mean?! To this Chaplin replied, ~o th in~ . ' What does acclaim mean? At a minimum it means that an individual has convinced some audience of the value of his or her work, be it scientific research, acting, or leadership. And clearly the process by which acclaim is earned is an interesting one, in part because it is dependent on attributions, judgments, and perhaps even outright bias. Kasof (this issue) takes us closer to an understanding and prediction of acclaim and its correlates, including achievement, impact, and reputation. That being said, I must quickly add that I do not think Kasof has helped us understand creativity per se. In fact, I fear he has contributed to a trend that is taking us away from clear understanding of the creative process. The reasons for this are detailed in this commentary. My emphasis is on the need to distinguish between the mechanisms that underlie creativity and those involved in the expression and reception of the resulting insights.