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This Page Left Intentionally Blank

By Peter Lloyd

Yes, I know this page is not blank. And I know why I see “This page left intentionally blank” on some otherwise empty book pages. In fact I find it fascinating that people don’t always quite mean what they say, write, or otherwise communicate. It makes life so much more interesting and fosters creativity.

Humans create arbitrary formalities to promote social tranquility. Table manners, dress codes, titles such as Mr. and Ms. or Sir and Ma’am, valedictions and salutations create a buffer zone. To ignore pleases and thank yous, bless yous and you’re welcomes is to tear the curtain of courtesy and possibly to insult.

photo of stop sign reading goThe dance, script, and music of interpersonal activity require people to creatively read and understand even the opposite of what someone might actually speak.

The first time a young stranger walked up to me with, ”Hey, dawg...” it was clear that he meant to sound respectful. But without the entire picture of his approach and attitude, without quick, creative interpretation, his words alone compared me to a quadruped.

Dealing with ambiguity and even opposites represents a creative capacity. As F. Scott Fitzgerald observed, “The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposing ideas in mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function.”

Enjoying a movie or a stage play demands suspension of disbelief. The next steps—conceptualization, abstraction, visioning what might be, imagining what can be, and making it happen—comprise the act of creation.

Can’t Fake It
As I read Undaunted Courage, an account of Lewis and Clark’s exploration of the Northwest Passage, the story’s various letter writers tickled me with their valedictions, “Your most humble and obedient servant.” If someone ever closes a letter to me with such delightful nonsense, I must remember to reply, “Okay, then, I hereby command you to get over here and shine my shoes!”

Creative ambiguity sorts the wheat from the chaff. When I receive a message opening with “Dear,” it has at least some credibility if it comes from a friend. But to read “Dear” and “Valued” right alongside “Customer,” knowing I’m one of thousands in a grossly impersonal dreck-mail or spam campaign, well, that’s just a little much. It actually amplifies the disingenuous intentions of the huckster.

Songwriter, author, ghostwriter, copywriter, and content provider Peter Lloyd syndicates Right Brain Workouts and blogs for businesses including CoachQuest.

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