Often, even after years, mental states once present in consciousness return to it with apparent spontaneity and without any act of the will; that is, they are reproduced involuntarily.
Hermann EbbinghausRead
Ideas which have been developed simultaneously or in immediate succession in the same mind mutually reproduce each other, and do this with greater ease in the direction of the original succession and with a certainty proportional to the frequency with which they were together
Interpretation
What this quote means
Different ideas can enhance each other when they are developed close in time or within the same mind.
The quote by Hermann Ebbinghaus explores the concept that ideas do not exist in isolation; rather, they can influence each other when developed together. This interdependence is particularly strong when ideas follow one another closely in time, as they tend to reinforce each other, leading to richer understanding and creativity.
Themes
IdeasCreativityInfluenceDevelopmentThought
In practice
Example use cases
In a brainstorming session, I often refer to the interrelatedness of ideas.
More from Hermann Ebbinghaus
All quotes →Psychology has a long past, but only a short history.
Hermann EbbinghausRead
Mental states of every kind, - sensations, feelings, ideas, - which were at one time present in consciousness and then have disappeared from it, have not with their disappearance absolutely ceased to exist.
Hermann EbbinghausRead
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