<p>I'm looking for a term for a curious situation that I've found myself in a couple times in my life.</p>
<ul>
<li>A person discusses a new concept/invention.</li>
</ul>
<p>I am a part of that conservation or simply overhear it...</p>
<ul>
<li><p>I think 'wow, what a great idea, I wish I'd thought of that!'.</p>
</li>
<li><p>I <em>subsequently</em> discover that I misinterpreted their concept/invention and to my surprise 'my' idea has merit in excess of theirs (more generalized applications of the solution, orders of magnitude more efficient, a complete 90deg turn in logic and/or reapplication of concepts in a new setting, or just plain cooler, for examples)</p>
</li>
</ul>
<p>Is there a term for this seemingly out of the blue inspiration?</p>
<p>A kind of mental catalyst?</p>
<p>I am of the belief that it is more my idea than the other person's, but in attempting to catalogue the life experiences that gave me the building blocks to make that unconscious conceptual leap, I'm often left wanting.</p>
<p>I originally posted in the philosophy stack considering it may have an epistemological lean to it, but they suggested here.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-11-07T05:40:08.747Z
Isn't all inspiration "out of the blue"?
Arnon Weinberg
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-11-07T06:16:01.000Z
@ArnonWeinberg I don't think so, start a Google search with 'inspired by' and look at the automatic suggestions that  those two words inspire..
Lamar Latrell
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-11-07T18:01:19.487Z
That seems like an odd way to determine that.  How about a dictionary?  [Oxford](https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/inspiration): "a sudden good idea"; [Collins](https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/inspiration); "you suddenly think of an idea of what to do or say"; [Cambridge](https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/inspiration): "a sudden good idea"; [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inspiration): "sudden creativity in artistic production", "sudden creativity when a new invention is created".
Arnon Weinberg
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-11-07T18:14:43.830Z
@ArnonWeinberg ok, it's odd ... and? It's still true. Either way, what's your overall point? What inspired you to comment in the first place?
Lamar Latrell
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-11-07T18:20:14.600Z
I'm just not sure why there should be a separate term for "out of the blue inspiration" when "inspiration" alone suffices.
Arnon Weinberg
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-11-07T18:29:21.067Z
@ArnonWeinberg noted. Have you read the rest of the question? Even the word 'seemingly' just before? Do as you like, but I simply suggest VTC if you don't like it, or move on. 
Lamar Latrell
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-11-07T18:32:14.717Z
Also, you understand that if I'm searching for a term that maybe my attempts at describing it will fail *because I don't have the perfect term yet*. Hence, more context..
Lamar Latrell
<epistemology>
Inspiration catalyst? Looking for a term that describes seemingly out of the blue inspiration
Lamar Latrell
# Inspiration catalyst? Looking for a term that describes seemingly out of the blue inspiration

(Asked by: username_0 on 2023-11-06)

I'm looking for a term for a curious situation that I've found myself in a couple times in my life.

* A person discusses a new concept/invention.

I am a part of that conservation or simply overhear it...

* I think 'wow, what a great idea, I wish I'd thought of that!'.
* I *subsequently* discover that I misinterpreted their concept/invention and to my surprise 'my' idea has merit in excess of theirs (more generalized applications of the solution, orders of magnitude more efficient, a complete 90deg turn in logic and/or reapplication of concepts in a new setting, or just plain cooler, for examples)

Is there a term for this seemingly out of the blue inspiration?

A kind of mental catalyst?

I am of the belief that it is more my idea than the other person's, but in attempting to catalogue the life experiences that gave me the building blocks to make that unconscious conceptual leap, I'm often left wanting.

I originally posted in the philosophy stack considering it may have an epistemological lean to it, but they suggested here.

**Tags:** epistemology

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Isn't all inspiration "out of the blue"?  
> **username_0**: @ArnonWeinberg I don't think so, start a Google search with 'inspired by' and look at the automatic suggestions that  those two words inspire..  
> **username_1**: That seems like an odd way to determine that.  How about a dictionary?  [Oxford](https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/inspiration): "a sudden good idea"; [Collins](https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/inspiration); "you suddenly think of an idea of what to do or say"; [Cambridge](https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/inspiration): "a sudden good idea"; [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inspiration): "sudden creativity in artistic production", "sudden creativity when a new invention is created".  
> **username_0**: @ArnonWeinberg ok, it's odd ... and? It's still true. Either way, what's your overall point? What inspired you to comment in the first place?  
> **username_1**: I'm just not sure why there should be a separate term for "out of the blue inspiration" when "inspiration" alone suffices.  
> **username_0**: @ArnonWeinberg noted. Have you read the rest of the question? Even the word 'seemingly' just before? Do as you like, but I simply suggest VTC if you don't like it, or move on.   
> **username_0**: Also, you understand that if I'm searching for a term that maybe my attempts at describing it will fail *because I don't have the perfect term yet*. Hence, more context..  

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## 0 answers

