Exaggeration
One way to generate interesting ideas on a subject is to exaggerate by either magnifying (enlarging) or minimizing (compressing) it. Exaggeration sometimes exposes ideas that might be acceptable in a crisis situation but not in a normal range of options. Some forms of exaggeration include:
| Forms of Exaggeration |
Type |
Example |
| Exaggerate upwards |
Magnify |
I have a million voice mails a day. |
| Exaggerate downwards |
Minimize |
I hardly even use the phone. |
| Exaggerate scope |
Invade context |
The whole phone system is underused. |
| Exaggerate significance |
Aggrandise |
Our lack of communication is a scandal. |
| Exaggerate selectively |
Caricature |
"No answer. John must be out fishing." |
Exaggeration tests unspoken assumptions about the scale of a problem. It pushes you to think about what would be appropriate if the problem were a different order of magnitude. Exaggerated solutions can sometimes be applied directly. More likely you will find they are inappropriate as they stand, but may suggest other ideas that would be acceptable.
Action Steps.
- Define the idea you need to develop.
- Make a list of all the component parts of the idea.
- Choose one component and develop ways of exaggerating it..
- If the exaggerations were true, what would be your solutions?
- Examine all the exaggerated solutions for commonalities and differences. Look for anything practical or applicable to the actual problem.
- Don't be afraid to reexamine the idea itself. Do the extremes of exaggeration suggest it is not necessary or not really a problem? Is the scope of the idea or problem more or less than what you originally thought?
Copyright Eugene L. Mason. All rights reserved.
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