Bad Ideas Lead to Good Ideas: A Creative and spiritual Hack for Breakthroughs
I have a phrase that I have always lived by, but started sharing it as a joke with my husband. Now it has grown into one of my favorite life tools:
“Bad ideas lead to good ideas.”
It began as a way to break through his frustration when he hit executive dysfunction. Stuck in the overwhelm of a problem, he would shut down. I’d nudge the ice with this phrase, toss out something ridiculous, and before long, we’d be laughing our way into real solutions.
But the longer I’ve lived with it, the more I realize this isn’t just a clever trick. It’s rooted in both science and mysticism.
The Science of Why “Bad Ideas” Work
When we feel blocked, our nervous system often tips into fight, flight, or freeze. Creativity collapses, and the problem feels impossible. The brain narrows its options.
But when we say, “bad ideas are welcome here,” something amazing happens:
· It reduces stakes. The pressure to be perfect drops, and our prefrontal cortex (responsible for problem-solving) comes back online.
· It taps divergent thinking. Studies in creativity research show that brainstorming “wrong” or “silly” answers actually primes the brain to make novel connections. The “bad” ideas become scaffolding for better ones.
It invites play. Play signals safety to the nervous system, which increases dopamine. Dopamine fuels pattern recognition, the brain’s ability to spot connections it missed before.
In short: when you allow bad ideas, you’re hacking your biology for breakthroughs.
The Spiritual Dimension
Mystics through the ages have described something like this process.
· In contemplative prayer, St. Teresa of Ávila spoke of beginning with “imaginary prayer” (your own attempts, clumsy as they may be) before being lifted into “infused contemplation” (grace breaking through).
· In yogic philosophy, imagination is the doorway into ether — the subtle field of possibility where all things exist. Even a rough, imperfect entry opens access to flashes of clarity.
Many modern mystics would call this working in the ether — tossing something into the field, however flawed, and trusting the field to respond with something truer, richer, clearer.
That moment when the “fantastic answer” arrives? It’s the same current as a eureka moment, the breakthrough. What began as a silly offering becomes the channel for revelation.
How to Use This in Daily Life
1. Name the stuckness. Say it aloud: “We’re stuck.”
2. Invite the bad ideas. Make the rule: no idea is too dumb, too impossible, too silly.
3. Play. Offer a terrible solution and laugh about it. (“We’ll just knock down the whole house and start over!”)
4. Listen for the shift. Notice when your body relaxes and a new thought sneaks in.
Catch the good idea. It will often feel obvious and easy once it shows up.
Why It Matters
“Bad ideas lead to good ideas” isn’t just a quip, it’s a spiritual principle. It reminds us that failure isn’t final; it’s fuel. That play isn’t frivolous; it’s a portal. That imagination, even in its silliest forms, can open us into the field where wisdom resides.
So, the next time you’re stuck, don’t clench harder. Offer the bad idea. Break the ice. Let the laughter loosen your system. And then watch, the good idea will come tumbling in with ease.