Why We Can't See What's Right in Front of Us
Why We Can’t See What’s Right in Front of Us







	

			
		

	


		

The most famous cognitive obstacle to innovation is functional fixedness — an idea first articulated in the 1930s by Karl Duncker — in which people tend to fixate on the common use of an object. For example, the people on the Titanic overlooked the possibility that the iceberg could have been their lifeboat. Newspapers from […]
		
	

		



	May 10, 2012


	

			
				




	




	
	
		
			
				
						
	
	

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								The most famous cognitive obstacle to innovation is functional fixedness — an idea first articulated in the 1930s by Karl Duncker — in which people tend to fixate on the common use of an object. For example, the people on the Titanic overlooked the possibility that the iceberg could have been their lifeboat. Newspapers from the time estimated the size of the iceberg to be between 50-100 feet high and 200-400 feet long. Titanic was navigable for awhile and could have pulled aside the iceberg. Many people could have climbed aboard it to find flat places to stay out of the water for the four hours before help arrived. Fixated on the fact that icebergs sink ships, people overlooked the size and shape of the iceberg (plus the fact that it would not sink).
						

					
				

				
		

						


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						Tony McCaffrey is the chief technology officer of Innovation Accelerator.
					
		
	
	

	
	
		
			
				
						
	
	

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		New!
			
				HBR Learning
			
			Innovation and Creativity Course
			Accelerate your career with Harvard ManageMentor®. HBR Learning’s online leadership training helps you hone your skills with courses like Innovation and Creativity. Earn badges to share on LinkedIn and your resume. Access more than 40 courses trusted by Fortune 500 companies.
			Unlock your team's curiosity and willingness to take smart risks.
			
			
		
		
		
	


			
		

	




				