synectics means A problem-solving methodology that stimulates thought processes of which the subject may be unaware. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 87 out of 100.
Why “synectics” is a great word
SYNECTICS — [Noun] A structured methodology for creative problem-solving that stimulates inventive thought by deliberately forcing connections between seemingly unrelated elements. From English synectic, from Late Latin synecticus (coherent), from Ancient Greek synektikós (holding together), from synechein (to hold together, from syn- (together) + echein (to hold)); coined in the 1960s by William J.J. Gordon. Unlike "brainstorming" (which denotes a free-form, unstructured group ideation) or "analysis" (which refers to the systematic separation and examination of constituent parts), synectics is a disciplined architecture of purposeful incongruity. It is the engineer asking how a chemical process resembles a ballet, the designer conflating a hinge with a mollusk's shell, or the strategist finding a solution in the apparent disorder of a child's playground—a formalized conviction that the most luminous insights arise only from holding two incompatible thoughts together in the mind.
Etymology
From Ancient Greek, suggesting the bringing together of apparently unrelated elements. Originally a trademark.
noun
- A problem-solving methodology that stimulates thought processes of which the subject may be unaware.