We are human because we laugh and cry, even when we don’t want to. Take emotion from humanity and we will be thoroughly efficient, totally competent robots who do everything logically and nothing lovingly. Our humanity is our unwillingness to be totally programmed. We must now control such marshalling, not by objection or protest but positively by becoming more creative than we already are.
To stay human we must avoid becoming too mechanistic.
Creativity is a word that frightens many people and challenges others. It shouldn’t. To be creative is to be human. When we relate things that are not immediately obviously connected we are being creative. Try it. What is a stray cat to a brass doorknocker? Go on. How do they relate to each other? If you think they don’t you need to brush up your creativity. Do so and you will excel as a human with all the quirkiness and beauty that implies.
Who would you say are the most successful people in life? The richest? No. The longest lived? No. The ones everybody loves? No. The people in these groups are entitled to claim achievement. They have mostly done useful things for others. They are praised, lauded and feted with attention. They still aren’t the most successful people in the world. That accolade goes to the creative – those who know when to use a wheelbarrow as a pram or who can make life more fun than it might otherwise be.
Creative people share qualities that set them apart. They are forever curious and they question the world around them and seek new ways of seeing it. They are resilient and they transform setbacks into new opportunities. They are flexible and adapt to the changing environment. They don’t shirk from ambiguity. Above all, they possess imagination – the ability to see beyond the obvious. That gives them empathy to connect ideas to human needs and emotions. They are not simply problem-solvers but visionaries who inspire others.
Don’t think you are creative? May I be rude and say that is an excuse to avoid trying. You do not have to be a genius to be creative, you have to be inquisitive. You have to want to know what, why, how, when and where about everything that crosses your path. You have to guess to make judgments – and then cope with your failures, You have to care about life – yours and everyone else’s. You have to be enthusiastic because that is what makes humans successful. You have to be determined because that is what allows humans to survive.
No need to wait for classes, qualifications, lectures. Start your creativity now.
Ask yourself “what am I doing to make the world more fun?”
Your answer reveals your humanity.
Good morning
John Bittleston
Please do tell us your views at [email protected].
16 April 2026
