I’d argue that the most important jobs of the future will require us to think differently—to be creative, to think outside the box, and develop ideas others haven’t.

We know schools are not focused on helping kids magnify these qualities...

So what can *we* do?

How can we help kids become more independent-minded?

@paulg argues that this quality may be largely inborn, but there are ways to magnify it, or at least to not suppress it.

Here are a 3 examples he shares that I believe are applicable to kids:

1. Cultivate an attitude of skepticism

Teach kids not to let anything into their head unexamined.

“When you hear someone say something, stop and ask yourself, is that true?”

Frame this habit for your kids as an exciting quest for novelty.

2. Surround them with independent-minded people

Having kids hear other people say surprising things will encourage them to do the same.

Help them find a community of other kids, older and younger, who crave creativity and learning new things.

@synthesischool @withprimer

3. Cultivate curiosity

Make sure kids are making time to explore the things they are interested in. Find out how much of the work they're doing in school engages their curiosity.

If the answer is “not much,” then they need to find something else—a complement—that does.

I explore ideas like these in my weekly newsletter Fab Fridays.

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