Lin-Manuel Miranda's journey to becoming a groundbreaking figure in musical theatre is explored through his experiences with In the Heights and Hamilton. While commonly viewed as a product of hard work and mentorship, Miranda highlights the role of a restful vacation in his creative process. During a trip to Mexico, he was inspired by a biography of Alexander Hamilton. This reflects a broader theme in society called the additive bias, where people equate success with taking on more tasks, often neglecting the power of rest and mental clarity.
The moment my brain got a moment's rest, Hamilton walked into it. It's no accident that the best idea I've ever had in my life... came to me on vacation.
Much of today's success advice centers on squeezing additional tasks into already packed schedules: wake up at 4 am, use this task management software... the additive bias.
New university presidents, for example, are eight times more likely to propose new initiatives than to eliminate existing ones... suggesting that more has been done.
We see this bias everywhere: Novels with more pages are more likely to win literary awards... even when the changes don't actually improve the product.
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