Entertain the Absurd

“If an idea does not sound absurd, then there’s no hope for it.”—Albert Einstein

I've heard that quote a number of times, and it obviously aligns with ideas I've shared here before. What I thought would be fun is to share a couple of noteworthy examples I've come across in my own research recently.

There are LOADS of anecdotes about really smart people making really bad predictions. But here are a couple of stories I'd never heard before:

Regarding Apple's legendary 1984 commercial, from Walter Isaacson's "Steve Jobs":

"[Steve Jobs screened the ad] for the board at its December 1983 meeting. When the lights came back on in the boardroom, everyone was mute. Philip Schlein, the CEO of Macy's California, had his head on the table. Mike Markkula stared silently; at first it seemed he was overwhelmed by the power of the ad. Then he spoke: 'Who wants to move to find a new agency?' Sculley recalled, 'Most of them thought it was the worst commercial they had ever seen.' Sculley himself got cold feet. He asked Chiat/Day to sell off the two commercial spots they had purchased. Jobs was beside himself... It would eventually be selected by both TV Guide and Advertising Age as the greatest commercial of all time."

Regarding Beethoven's beloved Fifth Symphony, from Dean Simonton's Origins of Genius (which I mentioned in this fantastic piece about quantity):

"Once when a world-class orchestra first rehearsed a new symphony, the musicians all laughed after playing the opening motif, and put down their instruments, believing that it was some practical joke... The Fifth Symphony is now believed to boast one of the most effective openings in the classical repertoire."

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