最近，我讀了商業顧問和教練提姆．凱特(Tim Kight)所提出的社群媒體評論。雖然我從沒見過他，但我讚賞他犀利、實際的想法。他發表的文章是「創意摩擦的力量—不同意見的價值」。

(註:凱特顧問由箴言29章9節「智慧人與愚妄人相爭，或怒或笑，總不能使他止息。」為出發， 針對目前政治、主流媒體提出響亮的口號結合異議人士曾提出之訴求，如今卻使用成為打壓異己、貼標籤、戴帽子的手段，將多元與包容成為口號，促成一言堂的亂象，提出獨到的見解)(詳情請參閱第三頁附件)

凱特補充說：「當我們各自有不同的想法時，可以使用「創意摩擦」來測試和完善這些想法，便能產生更好的解決方案。」他的觀察既古老又創新，特別是在我們這個錯用和放棄「公民對話」藝術的時代。

比如說，很多大學都建立了「安全區」，學生可以退縮在裡面，不用擔心看到或聽到與自己不同的觀點，但，這叫學習嗎？他們的想法完全不用受到挑戰嗎？當抗議活動和隨之而來的動亂在世界各地發生時，很顯然的每個人都在說話，甚至喊叫，但其實沒有人在聆聽。

即使在新冠病毒大流行的情況下，也有各種意見和觀點出現。但媒體和政客並沒有鼓吹自由的思想交流，反而攔阻，好像自由交換意見對人有害似的。「創意摩擦」被他們認為是陌生的概念，應該恐懼而不是接受。

即使我對凱特所說的術語不熟悉，但我卻很重視這種腦力摩擦。特別是在我擔任報紙和雜誌編輯的那幾年，在與編輯團隊開會計劃即將發行的刊物時，每個人都有不同的想法，我允許他們說出來，一起討論也經常辯論。在這個過程中，我們總是發現1+1>2，整體綜效大於各部分的總和（最終結果大於我們單獨的貢獻）。

令人遺憾的是，很多環境不支持「創意磨擦」這樣的思維。然而這根本不是一個全新的想法，聖經就大力提倡過這觀點。請參考以下的經文：

摩擦是互惠互利的。想像一下，兩把刀的刀刃碰撞在一起，透過摩擦使彼此更鋒利。人和人之間的情況也是如此，無論是在工作場所、婚姻、事工或運動團隊中。彼此互動並產生摩擦，即便是發生些內部、思想相近的衝突，我們也可以使彼此變的更好。「鐵磨鐵磨出刃來，朋友相感也是如此」（箴言27章17節）。

不同觀點的價值。在法庭案件中，常會要求多位證人作證，讓法官或陪審團可以得到完整、準確的證詞。同樣的，我們也許總是相信自己的意見或觀點，不過當你願意聆聽其他人的看法時，可能會發現   自己是錯的，或者最佳解決方案是多種觀點的結合。「不要冒失出去與人爭競，免得至終被他羞辱，你就不知道怎樣行了。」（箴言25章8節）

改正可能有幫助。自以為是可能會成為我們追求成功時的巨大障礙，尤其是當我們總覺得自己的想法或行動是對的。「創意摩擦」可能會有些痛，但最終，我們會發現如此經歷可讓自己變得更好。「智慧人的勸戒，在順從的人耳中，好像金耳環和精金的妝飾。」（箴言25章12節）。

© 2020. Robert J. Tamasy 是企業巔峰: 給今日職場從箴言而來永恆的智慧 一書的作者。也與導師之的作者David A. Stoddard 合著Tufting Legacies。編輯多本著作包括Mike Landry. Bob的書: 透過苦難成長。Mike Landry. Bob的網站為www.bobtamasy-readywriterink.com, 

反省與問題討論

1. 用你的話來說，你對「創意摩擦」這個詞是如何理解的？
2. 你是否曾經看過「建設性的意見差異」被討論出來？而且是在正面、積極、有效能的方式下進行？請解釋你的答案。
3. 為什麼允許、鼓勵自由地交換不同的意見，包括有不同意的自由，經常會受到反對？
4. 請舉出你在工作場所看到真實的「鐵磨鐵」帶出果效的例子。

備註：如果你有聖經，想閱讀更多經文，請參考以下內容：

約書亞記2章1節
2:1 當下，嫩的兒子約書亞從什亭暗暗打發兩個人作探子，吩咐說：「你們去窺探那地和耶利哥。」於是二人去了，來到一個妓女名叫喇合的家裏，就在那裏躺臥。
箴言10章19-21節
10:19 多言多語難免有過；禁止嘴唇是有智慧。
10:20 義人的舌乃似高銀；惡人的心所值無幾。
10:21 義人的口教養多人；愚昧人因無知而死亡。
箴言12章14、18節
12:14 人因口所結的果子，必飽得美福；人手所做的，必為自己的報應。
12:18 說話浮躁的，如刀刺人；智慧人的舌頭卻為醫人的良藥。
馬可福音6章7節
6:7 耶穌叫了十二個門徒來，差遣他們兩個兩個地出去，也賜給他們權柄，制伏污鬼；
腓立比書4章9節
4:9 你們在我身上所學習的，所領受的，所聽見的，所看見的，這些事你們都要去行，賜平安的　神就必與你們同在。
提摩太後書2章2節
2:2 你在許多見證人面前聽見我所教訓的，也要交託那忠心能教導別人的人。

附件:
創意摩擦creative abrasion                                                                                     By: Tim Kight
Proverbs 29.9
“If a wise man has an argument with a fool, the fool only rages and laughs, and there is no quiet.”
箴言29章9節 「 智慧人與愚妄人相爭，或怒或笑，總不能使他止息。」
This proverb asserts that when there is a debate between a wise person and a fool, it is not a reasonable discussion that leads to a resolution. Instead, it is chaos. This is because the fool is stubbornly arrogant to the point of being irrational.
這句箴言宣稱，當一個智慧人與一個愚妄人之間發生爭辯時，做出的結論並不是出於合理的討論。反而是混亂。這是因為愚妄人的固執與傲慢到了非理性的地步。
The fool doesn’t bring facts to the discussion; rather, the fool brings emotion and noise. When confronted with a different point of view, the fool gets angry and ridicules the wise person and their message. The fool doesn’t understand the value of creative abrasion. They don’t understand that iron sharpens iron.
愚妄人不會把真實的信息帶入討論中。相反的，愚妄人帶來了情緒和吵鬧。面對不同的觀點，愚妄人會生氣並嘲笑智慧人及其帶來的資訊。愚妄人不了解「創意摩擦」帶來的價值。他們不明白鐵磨鐵的真理。
We are witnessing this very thing today in many of the debates about social and political issues. Extremists do not want to engage in civil discourse; rather, they want to silence and “cancel” the perspective of those who disagree with them. For example, on some (many?) college campuses, speakers who present a conservative point of view are shouted down or prevented from speaking.
我們今天在許多有關社會和政治問題的辯論中都看到了這一點。極端分子不想參與公民對話；相反，他們希望沉默並“消除”那些不同意他們看法者的觀點。例如，在一些（或許多？）大學校園裏，持保守觀點的演講者被叫下台或禁止發言。
The protesters, who ironically describe themselves as progressives, use the tactics described in this proverb. They rage, they mock, they shout … and they certainly are not quiet. Their standard strategy is to engage in name-calling and glibly throw out what has become a cookie-cutter list of derisive labels: racist, nazi, misogynist, homophobe, xenophobe, etc..   
具有諷刺意味的是，抗議者將自己描述為進步主義者，他們使用了這句箴言中提到的戰術。他們大怒，嘲笑，他們大喊……他們當然並不安靜。他們的標準策略是進行謾罵和中傷，並巧妙的扔掉那些曾經一成不變如今卻成為笑話的標籤：種族主義者，納粹主義者，仇視女性者，同性戀者，仇視外國人..等。   
The tragic result of this foolishness is that free speech, civil discourse, and the debating of alternative perspectives and viewpoints is being severely restricted (and in some cases eliminated altogether) on many college campuses. Needless to say, this is disastrous for the collegiate learning process, which should encourage and facilitate exposure to differing ideas and perspectives.
這種愚蠢行為的悲劇性結果是，言論自由，公民對話以及對許多不同觀念和觀點的辯論，在許多大學校園中，受到了嚴重的限制（在某些情況下甚至完全被取消）。毋庸置疑的，這對於大學的學習過程來說是災難性的，它原本應該鼓勵並激發對不同思想和觀點正向的碰觸。
Sadly, despite their rhetoric about diversity and inclusion, universities today are increasingly anti-liberal and anti-diversity. They are quite selective about who is protected and promoted by “inclusivity.” The atmosphere on many campuses can be accurately described as philosophical fascism, where people are punished for expressing conservative ideas that differ from the progressive beliefs that dominate the campus culture.
可悲的是，儘管他們高調宣揚多元化和包容性，但如今的大學越來越反自由和反多元化。他們對誰受到“包容性”的保護和推廣是很有選擇性的。許多校園裏的氛圍可以準確地描述為法西斯思想主義，在那裡，人們因表達與主導校園文化的進步信仰不同的保守思想而受到懲罰。
Wise people aren’t afraid of different opinions and perspectives. They welcome diversity of thought. They embrace disagreement, and respond with respectful discussion, discourse, and debate. They understand the benefit of creative abrasion. They know that iron sharpens iron.   
有智慧的人並不怕不同的觀點。他們歡迎思想多樣化。他們接受不同的意見，並通過互相尊重的討論、論述和辯論做出回應。他們了解「創意摩擦」的好處。他們知道鐵能磨鐵磨出刃來。   

傳載自Tim Kight的網站，由CBMC總會自行翻譯，僅供參閱，不另做其他用途。
 https://www.acalltoexcellence.com/creative-abrasion

CREATING AN ATMOSPHERE OF ‘CREATIVE ABRASION’

Robert J. Tamasy

Recently I read social media comments presented by a business consultant and coach, Tim Kight. I have never met him, but I appreciate his pointed, practical thinking. What he posted about was the power of “creative abrasion. In other words, the value of disagreement.”

Kight added, “When we have different perspectives and then engage in creative abrasion to test and refine our ideas, we produce better solutions.” His observations are both old – and new. Especially for our times, when it seems we have misplaced or abandoned the fine art of civil discourse.

Many colleges and universities, for example, have created “safe zones” where students can retreat without fear of seeing or hearing viewpoints that differ from their own. Is this learning? Not having their ideas challenged? As protests, followed by rioting, have taken place in different parts of the world, it has become evident that everyone is talking – even shouting – but no one is listening.

Even with the coronavirus pandemic, a variety of opinions and perspectives have emerged. Rather than applauding the free exchange of ideas, however, the media and politicians have largely discouraged this. Which, it appears, is to the detriment of everyone. “Creative abrasion” is regarded as an alien concept, something to be feared rather than embraced.

This kind of friction, however, is something I valued, even when I was not familiar with Kight’s term. Especially during my years as an editor of newspapers and a magazine. In meeting with the editorial team to plan upcoming editions, we each had different ideas. We allowed them to be presented, then would discuss and often, debate them. In the process, we invariably discovered the whole (the finished product) was greater than the sum of the parts (our individual contributions).

The fact that creative abrasion is not supported in many environments is sad, because this is hardly a novel idea. In fact, The Bible advocates this strongly. Consider the following passages:

Friction is mutually beneficial. Imagine the blades of two knives clashing together, each making the other sharper. The same occurs between people, whether in a workplace setting, a marriage, a ministry, or a sports team. Rubbing up against each other, even with civil, congenial conflict, we can make one another better. “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another” (Proverbs 27:17).

Value in differing viewpoints. In court cases, multiple witnesses are often asked to give testimony so the judge or jury can receive a full, accurate account. In a similar sense, we might be convinced of our opinion or viewpoint, but if we are willing to listen to other perspectives, we may discover we are wrong – or that the best solution is a combination of a variety of ideas. “What you have seen with your eyes do not bring hastily to court, for what will you do in the end if your neighbor puts you to shame?” (Proverbs 25:8).

Correction can be helpful. Pride can be a great obstacle in our pursuit of success, especially feeling self-assured that we are in the right, whether our thinking or actions. “Creative abrasion” might cause some pain, but in the end we often find ourselves better off because of it. “Like an earring of gold or an ornament of fine gold is a wise man’s rebuke to a listening ear” (Proverbs 25:12).

© 2020. Robert J. Tamasy has written Marketplace Ambassadors: CBMC’s Continuing Legacy of Evangelism and Discipleship; Business at Its Best: Timeless Wisdom from Proverbs for Today’s Workplace; andThe Heart of Mentoring, coauthored with David A. Stoddard. Bob’s biweekly blog is: www.bobtamasy.blogspot.com.

Reflection/Discussion Questions

1. In your own words, what do you understand is meant by the term, “creative abrasion”?
2. Have you ever seen this – constructive disagreement – in action, used positive, productive ways? Explain your answer.
3. Why do you think this idea, allowing for and even encouraging the free exchange of different ideas, including the freedom to disagree, often receives disfavor?
4. Give an example of a time when you have seen the truth of “iron sharpening iron” being practiced in the workplace.

NOTE: If you have a Bible and would like to read more, consider the following passages:
Joshua 2:1; Proverbs 10:19-21, 12:14,18; Mark 6:7; Philippians 4:9, 2 Timothy 2:2

19