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The Path of Least Resistance: Learning to Become the Creative Force in Your Own Life Paperback – April 22, 1989
Purchase options and add-ons
- Print length320 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherBallantine Books
- Publication dateApril 22, 1989
- Dimensions5.13 x 0.56 x 7.93 inches
- ISBN-109780449903377
- ISBN-13978-0449903377
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Editorial Reviews
From Library Journal
- Kevin M. Roddy, Oakland P.L., Cal.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From the Publisher
Leslie Meredith
Executive Editor & Divisional Vice President
Ballantine Wellspring
From the Inside Flap
From the Back Cover
About the Author
Product details
- ASIN : 0449903370
- Publisher : Ballantine Books; Rev ed. edition (April 22, 1989)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 320 pages
- ISBN-10 : 9780449903377
- ISBN-13 : 978-0449903377
- Item Weight : 8 ounces
- Dimensions : 5.13 x 0.56 x 7.93 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #63,453 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #61 in Popular Psychology Creativity & Genius
- #229 in Creativity (Books)
- #1,516 in Motivational Self-Help (Books)
- Customer Reviews:
About the author
About Robert Fritz
Robert Jordan Fritz (born 1943 in Cambridge, Massachusetts) is an author, composer, filmmaker, and management consultant. He is known for his development of "structural dynamics," the study of how structural relationships impact behavior from individuals to organizations. His book The Path of Least Resistance and subsequent books develop the theory and application of structural dynamics and the creative process.
BIOGRAPHY
Robert Fritz studied music composition and theater at the Boston Conservatory of Music where he earned a BM and MM in composition. He also studied on scholarship at the Darmstädter Ferienkurse, Germany. He studied cinematography at Maine Media Workshops formerly Rockport Workshops. In the late 1970s, Peter Senge, Fritz, David Peter Stroh and Charles F. Kiefer founded Innovation Associates, a management consulting firm. Fritz's study of music composition along with his close contact with Senge's work in system dynamics, became a major influence for his exploration of the relationship of structure to behavior. His books on structural dynamics are based on his pioneering work with Blue Shield of California, La France, Harvard Vanguard, IBM China, and Ortynsky Automotive among others.
Structural dynamics has been used extensively in corporations, education, and third-world development. The Uganda Rural Development and Training Programme adopted this visionary approach as its fundamental operating principle. In 2009, URDT won recognition for its programmes from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for Changemakers "Cultivating Innovation: Solutions for Rural Communities". Fritz has worked with the Swedish governmental agency Vinnova. He has consulted with the US Department of Defense Special Ops on issues of terrorism, and has also introduced his work to the US Air Force and Department of Transportation. The Managerial Moment of Truth (co-authored by Bruce Bodaken) was chosen as one of BusinessWeek best books of 2006, and Harvard Business Review placed it on their executive reading list.
Structural dynamics has also been used in public school systems as chronicled in School Leaders Building Capacity from Within (Corwin Press) by Leonard C. Burello, Lauren P Hoffman, and Lynn E. Murray. In his book, Schools That Learn: A Fifth Discipline Fieldbook for Educators, Peter Senge features Fritz's structural approach as well.
Fritz has created two separate careers, one as a consultant and the other one as composer and filmmaker. As a composer, Fritz has won commissions from groups such as Collage and Dutch Radio. He has composed music for film, TV, and theater, as well as CDs. Two of his arrangements appear on Celtic Ladies, which topped Billboard Magazine (2007-2008 World Music).
Fritz has made documentaries for government, industry, and television, has written and directed three feature-length films, has directed and co-hosted Creating (a TV series made for a Canadian network), and directed episodes of the PBS series LeaderTalk with Garrison Krause, for which he also composed the theme music. Fritz wrote and directed the TV series Vermont Stories. He created the multi-media work She Was A Dancer for the Brattleboro Museum and Art Center. Overload, a narrative feature film written and directed by Fritz has won nine awards including an Indie Spirit Award in Recognition of Distinguished Accomplishment from The Boston International Film Festival, a Merit Award from the Los Angeles Cinema Festival of Hollywood, and Fritz won Best Screenplay and Best Original Score in the made for television category from the Los Angeles Movie Awards.
WORK:
---Structural dynamics---
Structural dynamics is the study of how structural constructs lead to predictable behavioral patterns, otherwise known as macrostructural patterns, the long-range patterns that reoccur in a person's life. Two basic patterns can be observed: oscillating and advancing. These two predictable patterns occur in quite specific and unique ways; and in each instance the same steps and the same sequence can be observed in every aspect of personal and professional life. The oscillating pattern emerges when a person, team, or organization takes action to accomplish a goal; and after achieving the desired result a reversal occurs. Examples illustrating this sequence include the business success that eventually leads to a financial loss, the great love that ends with a break-up, the successful project that turns into an undesirable predicament. In contrast, the advancing pattern creates momentum when outcomes are achieved, and accomplishment builds a platform for future success.
---Tension-resolution systems---
Underlying structures cause these behavioral patterns. The basic structural unit is the "tension-resolution system". In musical composition, harmonic tension behaves as a structural dynamic when it seeks resolution. Similar tension-resolution systems appear in behavioral macrostructural patterns. In the oscillating pattern, opposing tension-resolution systems dominate, and "non-equilibrium" occurs when the desired outcome is achieved. Structurally, the opposing tension resolution system remains and resolving it requires moving away from the achievement. In the advancing pattern, a single tension-resolution system dominates, and equilibrium occurs by achieving the desired outcome, the structural point at which the desired state and the actual state are equal. From these observations, this principle was developed: the underlying structure of anything determines its behavior. Without a change of underlying structure, change efforts fail, and the original behavior patterns reoccur. This explains why many sound change efforts fail within organizations. Organizational oscillating patterns occur when building up capacity, then downsizing, then building up capacity again; or centralizing decision making, de-centralizing decision making, and then centralizing it again; or focusing on long-term growth, then refocusing on short-term demands, and later refocusing on long-term growth again. When an underlying organizational structure leads to oscillation and remains unchanged, the structure rejects any change effort in a similar way that a body rejects an implanted organ. Conversely when a change of underlying structure designed to support advancement occurs, any subsequent change effort increases the likelihood of success and sustainability.
---The creative process---
Fritz developed his ideas about the creative process from the arts rather than psychology, making a distinction between the creative process and creativity. Creativity usually focuses on idea generation and comes from suspending the norm. However, Fritz argues that to advocate withholding critical judgment in favor of free association, brainstorming, or other systems in an effort to bypass the usual thought processes will not guarantee successful creativity or accomplishment of the goal. In the arts a consummate professional must produce consistent quality outcomes and meet rigid deadlines. Rather than freeing the mind, an artist focuses the mind, often by using structural tension--the relationship between two related data points. With repeated application and refinement what was once the unusual then becomes the usual. A desired outcome or goal, the first data point is contrasted with its relational current reality, the second data point. As the creative process begins, a difference exists between the desired state and the actual state, and this difference creates a useful tension. The composed tension is not psychological nor is it associated with stress, anxiety, or pressure. Rather it is structural. Clarity about the desired outcome and the actual situation, establishes a structural tendency that moves the structure toward tension resolution; and strongly motivates the best actions to achieve the desired outcome. The actions may be conventional. But often inadequate resources limit the conventional means to accomplish goals. Therefore, invention and innovation emerge naturally bringing forth new ways to accomplish goals. Fritz argues against glorifying inspiration. Professionals can create irrespective of their circumstances. Ideas about structure and the creative process fundamentally underscore Fritz's observations that like other structures, the mind seeks equilibrium. By nature, the mind desires a state of equilibrium and attempts to create order out of disorder. Fritz advocates using the mind to compose a structured state of non-equilibrium (structural tension) in order to originate new ideas. The mind then generates structurally relevant ideas which do not emerge using usual thought processes.
---Problem-solving vs. creating---
Fritz argues for a distinction between problem-solving and creating. Problem-solving is taking actions to have something go away: the problem. While problem-solving has its place, as a persistent approach, it limits accomplishment. The elimination of a problem does not mean that the desired result can be created. As distinguished, solving a problem does not by design lead to a creation. Creating is taking action to bring into being that which does not yet exist: the desired outcome.
FILM AWARDS
Robert Fritz's films have won over 200 laurels and awards from Film Festivals around the world. His films include Overload, Twice Upon a Time, Past Tense, AKT 2, Chasing Rainbows, Reality Therapy, The Uganda Project, Party On The Moon - the film, and many documentaries about artists.
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We do exist to create, you know. In one of his books, inspirational author Alan Cohen has a chapter named: Create or Die.
If you think this is just a specifically focused book of techniques for artists on ways of being "creative", such as brainstorming and doesn't apply to your life as a bus driver, or a waitress, or a doctor, you're wrong. We ALL create, everything from good relationships, to successful meeting outcomes, to careers, and yes... music and paintings and inventions and sculptures and books. As a matter of fact, Fritz eschews the notion of brainstorming and you'll see why in this book.
Basically, the first thought that'll crowd your mind as you complete the first chapter and then the second chatper, is that you have to read this repeatedly, because you want to soak these very profound, life-changing ideas into your psyche. It was hard for me to concentrate on the rest of the book during my first reading, because I was so excited about the implications of my expected change in thinking, and how I would tell others. What you'll learn is that being a reacter to problems doesn't result in peace of mind or success long-term. There are actual laws that he cites which explain the Structure of Tension which causes you to let go of all struggle and be powerfully pullled toward completion of ANYthing you want to accomplish.
In this book, he tells when you think of a goal, that you need to separate what your brainwashed mind think what is impossible, from what you reallly want. You'll see that the stress of repeatedly lying to yourself throughout your life about what you want can slowly but surely impact your health even! If you set goals that are based on what your fears tell you that you are limited to, but not what you *really want*, this wears on you physically.
Forget what your current environment or conditions tell you. THOSE DON'T MATTER! Just change to another "Structure" which leads to creation, not one that will swing you back and forth between struggles to fixing a problem, then...aaallllllmost getting there, but then the rubber band of the "Reactive" Structure pulls you back toward giving up on your faulty "fix-your-exterior" behaviors.
Fritz mentions that he studied Metaphysics in his life, but wasn't much interested in them; however, this topic can't avoided, and you'll see how when you are in the correct Structure of Creating, and you simply make a decision to create something, that this sets powerful acts of force in your favor. Between sessions of actually working on your project, like walking the dog or taking a shower, your subsconscious goes to work and pulls from the collective conscious of Man EXACTLY what you need to create what you decided to create. He includes this in the examples, but not in the way I'm describing it. Don't worry, he doesn't write with the scatter-brained style of this review. You'll get it, and you'll be grateful for his simple four-step guide to Creating
One more thing: Fritz discounts all self-help techniques such as affirmations or long term therapies. Personally, things like EFT and the Release Technique have been a godsend to my ability to function in interviews lately, and to eliminate strong negative emotions in some encounters.
But I see what he's talking about with respect to focusing more on just being the Creative Being that you were meant to be, rather then making your life into one long Saga of long term therapy-seeking and inner-child healing.
In some ways, I actually wish I had read the book from the back to the front, because I much more easily understood all of his concepts once I got to the second half of the book - and the last chapter in general locked in everything for me. This was an unusual book in that regard. I've read the other reviews that felt his writing was stiff and such, and maybe it pertains to some of what I've described above.
Analyzing this book from my understanding of the Law of Attraction was the best way I could pull all of his arguments together in one cohesive workable framework. In Law of Attraction terms every thought, belief, or structure of thoughts and beliefs produces either the vibration of "the having of something" or the "not having."
Fritz describes two creative structures in his book. The first is the "destructive" reactive/responsive. The second is the Creators structure. In Law of Attraction terms the way Fritz describes reactive/responsive thought structures - these are built around a focus on "not having" the producing of a stream of results that creates "not having" experiences...and a path of least resistance that always leads to more of the same. The second structure, the Creators structure, is built on "the having" of something. Living your life within this structure you are BEING "the having" and your life leads you reliably to "having" experiences, thoughts, people, events, etc.
What is unique about Fritz's material is his analysis of the structure of the lives lived by people who focus on "not having". This analysis of "reactive/responsive" modes of living is a very good mirror to hold up to your life to understand what the structure of your life actually is.
The book is weak on examples which bring both structures and their results to life. This is surprising, given that the author has built a business around teaching this material...and has probably had 1000s of interactions and examples to draw upon. On the other hand, Fritz is a conceptual thinker - and much more at home with the idea framework than the people aspect, that seems pretty clear to me.
The how-to portion of this book is remarkably short and I won't give it away, as this would be a disservice to the author. But in and of itself, I found the how-to core of the book to be a very elegant structure that is easy to use and apply. Interestingly, on one level, this is a book that inspires faith in the universe and teaches you how to use it moment by moment. I believe this is its atonishing contribution to the literature of creation.
The structure of "the creator" ultimately relies on allowing Source Energy to contribute it's part to the creative process. This is not only 100% consistant with The Law of Attraction information, but it is easily proved in everyday living. The author's techniques for using it are quite elegant, but they may not work for everyone - especially people who are unaware of their emotional reality. He does specifically cover this in his book. But either he has a blind spot in his thinking - or is not willing to reveal his techniques for "accurately assessing where you are" or is unaware of how he intuitively does this for himself and others. So if you are a grounded person who understands the emotional content of your own thoughts and can see reality clearly - this book is worth reading and can be effective for you.
But if you constantly find yourself swinging on an emotional roller coaster and experiencing emotions like anger, despair, revenge, pessimism, doubt and complete lack of faith - you'd be better off reading the Astonishing Power of Emotions first. The Astonishing Power of Emotions: Let Your Feelings Be Your Guide and understanding this component of creation before you dig into this book.
Another way of saying this is: Had I not spent the last year immersed in the Law of Attraction information I would have been fascinated by this book, but I would have been unable to use the how-to portion of it successfully. But with this as background - I could get and use the author's information and deeply appreciate it.
Having said all of that - I just purchased Fritz's book, Creating, to continue learning what this author has to offer. The Law of Attraction info is more accessible to me - but I don't mind doing the pick and shovel work to dig out the gems in this author's work. Creating: A practical guide to the creative process and how to use it to create anything - a work of art, a relationship, a career or a better life.
Top reviews from other countries
Ce changement de perspective m'a amené à reconsidérer tous les aspects de ma vie sous un angle nouveau et à trouver des solutions innovantes qui m'ont permis depuis d'accomplir des pas de géant. Attention toutefois, au début il faut pas mal s'accrocher car les idées en sont tellement révolutionnaires qu'l est au départ assez difficile d'appréhender les concepts et le vocabulaire même pour quelqu"un qui parle bien anglais. Mais le jeu en vaut la chandelle et très très très largement. On est "payé" au centuple de ses efforts car ce qu'on y découvre est d'une valeur inestimable.