Productivity's Worth is in its Aesthetic Appeal
In an intriguing exploration of productivity, a renowned psychology expert is proposing a fresh perspective that merges aesthetics with efficiency. This innovative approach, known as the "Beauty of Productivity," suggests that incorporating various forms of beauty into work deliverables can significantly increase their value, making them more meaningful and distinct.
The concept, often referred to as "pretty privilege" or "beauty premium," asserts that people are inclined to pay more for attractive objects and treat attractive people better. This tendency, the author argues, can be extended to work, where beauty can serve as a substitute for judging value in productivity.
The author, who holds degrees from NIMHANS Bangalore, Savitribai Phule Pune University, and Fergusson College, among others, is a psychology SME consultant in EdTech with a focus on AI cognition and Behavioral Engineering. Their content has been referenced and featured in prestigious publications such as the New York Times, Forbes, CNET, and Entrepreneur.
So, what are the six beauties that can elevate the value of productivity?
1. **Natural Beauty**: This encompasses preserving or showcasing natural phenomena like stars, mountains, or rivers in work deliverables. 2. **Artistic Beauty**: This involves creative expression through art forms, including breaking language rules for creativity. 3. **Ethical Beauty**: This incorporates empathy, kindness, and ethical considerations into work, making it more humane and responsible. 4. **Cognitive Beauty**: This embodies elegant innovations, clever solutions, and smart problem-solving, making work more intellectually stimulating. 5. **Wabi-Sabi**: This embraces imperfections and organic flaws in a way that feels authentic, adding a touch of realism and relatability. 6. **Narrative Beauty**: This uses storytelling and cohesion to build meaning, brand identity, or relationships, making work more engaging and memorable.
These beauties can be seamlessly integrated into work deliverables, aligning the type of beauty with the nature of the output. For instance, text content can benefit from artistic and cognitive beauty by creatively bending language rules and offering clever ideas. A marketing strategy can incorporate narrative beauty through imaginative, well-laid-out concepts that simplify complex ideas.
Incorporating any of these forms of beauty into productive output is suggested to command more value, making it easier to judge visually and process faster. Beauty, in this context, serves as a shortcut to evaluate work, providing a quick yet comprehensive assessment of its quality.
The author extends this concept to beauty in skill, products, and productivity, suggesting that beauty is a timeless candidate for a new variable to use as a metric for value. This framework proposes that productivity's value is enhanced not just by completing tasks efficiently, but by embedding these qualities that resonate with human appreciation, empathy, and creativity in deliverables.
Currently based in Pune, India but living in Seoul, South Korea, the author's work is focused on The Value of Productivity will be its Beauty. They are also affiliated with myelin, an EdTech company in India. For those interested in supporting this valuable work, donations are welcome to help run the website.
[1] Reference for further reading: The Value of Productivity will be its Beauty, available on the author's website.
- This novel approach to productivity, known as the "Beauty of Productivity," suggests that research into the impact of aesthetics on cognition could reveal new strategies to enhance productivity.
- The author's work emphasizes the importance of emotional intelligence in managing stress and maintaining mental health, highlighting the role of productivity in personal growth and education-and-self-development.
- By integrating artistic-intelligence into work deliverables, one could potentially stimulate creativity and memory, further boosting productivity.
- Therapy sessions could benefit from this Beauty of Productivity approach, providing a more engaging and evocative environment that encourages attention and promotes open communication.
- Technology, like artificial-intelligence, could be designed with the Beauty of Productivity in mind, making digital spaces more aesthetically pleasing and psychologically beneficial.
- Regular evaluation of one's habits and behavior in relation to productivity can help identify patterns and sources of anxiety, providing opportunities for growth and improvement.
- Incorporating elements of learning and education into productivity techniques can help individuals cultivate a more emotionally intelligent and resilient mindset.
- Memory improvement techniques, such as mnemonic devices and spaced repetition, can be made more effective by incorporating cognitive and narrative beauty into their design.
- The Beauty of Productivity approach could have implications for corporate training programs, where attractive and engaging content could lead to increased employee engagement and productivity.
- The author's research into the Beauty of Productivity could have far-reaching implications for the field of psychology, offering new insights into the intersection of aesthetics, cognition, and human behavior.
