<p>I often solve complicated problems by thinking about the problem for maybe 15 minutes, then taking a break for one or two hours, and then think for another 15 minutes. This often leads to much better solutions than working on the problem for 2 or 3 hours straight.</p>
<p>This is particularly evident for problems that have both an analytical and a creative part. It somehow seems that the solution matures or ripes unconsciously during the break.</p>
<p>Two questions to this:</p>
<ul>
<li>First of all, is this hypothesis that the solution somehow &quot;ripes&quot; unconsciously true/plausible? Or is it rather caused by the refreshed brain after the break?</li>
<li>Second, does this phenomenon have a name under which more literature could be found?</li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-01-12T20:06:56.333Z
This looks like a duplicate of [How is it that taking a break from a problem sometimes allows you to figure out the answer?](https://psychology.stackexchange.com/q/1/7001)
Arnon Weinberg
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-01-13T10:21:38.257Z
Duplicate, absolutely :-)
Michael
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-01-13T13:12:54.293Z
A question to this: Should we delete or keep duplicate questions? (Maybe keep because they offer a rewording of the original question that might help to find it by search engines.)
Michael
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-01-13T15:54:36.063Z
@Michael Keep, for exactly the reason you say (and not just search engines per se, but also for when people search within the site itself). https://meta.stackexchange.com/questions/10841/how-should-duplicate-questions-be-handled https://meta.stackexchange.com/questions/32311/do-not-delete-good-duplicates The main purpose of closing questions as duplicates (in my view) is to not repeat the answering effort; this is solved by having all those questions point to one place with answers. There is no penalty for asking a duplicate.
Bryan Krause
<io-psychology><problem-solving><creativity>
Do solutions for complicated problems ripe during long breaks?
Michael
# Do solutions for complicated problems ripe during long breaks?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2021-01-12)

I often solve complicated problems by thinking about the problem for maybe 15 minutes, then taking a break for one or two hours, and then think for another 15 minutes. This often leads to much better solutions than working on the problem for 2 or 3 hours straight.

This is particularly evident for problems that have both an analytical and a creative part. It somehow seems that the solution matures or ripes unconsciously during the break.

Two questions to this:

* First of all, is this hypothesis that the solution somehow "ripes" unconsciously true/plausible? Or is it rather caused by the refreshed brain after the break?
* Second, does this phenomenon have a name under which more literature could be found?

**Tags:** io-psychology, problem-solving, creativity

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: This looks like a duplicate of [How is it that taking a break from a problem sometimes allows you to figure out the answer?](https://psychology.stackexchange.com/q/1/7001)  
> **username_0**: Duplicate, absolutely :-)  
> **username_0**: A question to this: Should we delete or keep duplicate questions? (Maybe keep because they offer a rewording of the original question that might help to find it by search engines.)  
> **username_2**: @username_0 Keep, for exactly the reason you say (and not just search engines per se, but also for when people search within the site itself). https://meta.stackexchange.com/questions/10841/how-should-duplicate-questions-be-handled https://meta.stackexchange.com/questions/32311/do-not-delete-good-duplicates The main purpose of closing questions as duplicates (in my view) is to not repeat the answering effort; this is solved by having all those questions point to one place with answers. There is no penalty for asking a duplicate.  

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