Kevin Quang - Week 12: Shower Thoughts

 If Pokemon were real, would fire types be illegal in California?

Why do people say “the silence was deafening?”


There’s just something about standing under the shower of hot water that relaxes and churns the brain simultaneously. One moment, I’ll be mindlessly shampooing my hair; the next, wondering how 629 flipped upside down is still 629. The power of these fleeting, ridiculous thoughts—better known as shower thoughts—lies in the fact that our minds are at its most creative when it’s least occupied. Shower thoughts provide purpose to even the most mundane of things, like that one oddly wedged ceiling tile in Mrs. Smith’s classroom.


Science actually backs this up. When you’re engaged in a simple, repetitive task (like showering), your brain will enter a relaxed state, allowing your subconscious to “roam free.” This is why some of your best ideas or comebacks to an argument strike out of nowhere at the most random times. Your brain isn’t forced to solve a problem; it just does so naturally. In short, creativity thrives in boredom.


But beyond the funny and the absurd, shower thoughts reveal the power of perspective. It makes us rethink the mundane, and question the things we take for granted. Do fish get thirsty? What’s the difference between flammable and inflammable? If you’ve ever really thought about these things, you’ve already tapped into this strange, yet wonderful way of thinking.


The next time you step into the shower, try to think about not thinking; let your mind wander. While you should come out feeling clean, you might also walk away with the next million-dollar idea. 




Image credit: https://www.plumbingbyjake.com/faqs/how-many-gallons-of-water-does-a-shower-use/

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