The Surprising Habits of Original Thinkers

Many may wonder if original thinkers are rare and if they are born with a special genius. They imagine people like Steve Jobs or Marie Curie blessed with divine inspiration, producing breakthrough ideas easily, clearly, and boldly.

But what if they’ve got it all wrong? What if original thinking isn’t about being a natural-born visionary or having a high IQ?

What if it’s more about specific habits and ways of thinking — many of which might surprise you?

In his brilliant book Originals, organisational psychologist Adam Grant dismantles the myth that originality belongs to the rebellious few.

Instead, he shows how anyone can learn to champion new ideas and challenge the status quo.

The truth is that original thinkers often behave in counterintuitive, even messy ways. But it’s those exact quirks that make their thinking so powerful.

So, let’s look at some of the surprising traits and habits of original thinkers, understand their impact on the world, and, more importantly, discover how to develop your original mind.

1. Original Thinkers Are Often Procrastinators (But Strategic Ones)

You’ve probably been told that procrastination is the enemy of productivity — and for the most part, that’s true. However, Adam Grant points out that some of the most original thinkers are strategic procrastinators.

He says our ideas have time to marinate when we delay action (within reason).

To illustrate this, Grant tells the story of Martin Luther King Jr., who didn’t finish writing his iconic “I Have a Dream” speech until the night before he delivered it. Even then, the “I Have a Dream” section was improvised on the spot.

That moment of inspired thinking came not from frantic preparation but from having space to reflect, explore, and connect deeper truths.

So maybe don’t beat yourself up next time you pause diving into a big idea. A little delay could lead to a breakthrough.

2. Original Thinkers Have Doubts — But They Doubt Themselves Less Than Their Ideas

Contrary to popular belief, original thinkers are not always confident.

In fact, they often wrestle with doubt but not the self-defeating kind that says, “I’m not good enough.” Instead, it’s what Grant calls idea doubt. They question their ideas rigorously and revise them constantly.

Take Albert Einstein as an example.

He wasn’t sure his theory of relativity would hold up. He sent drafts to colleagues asking for feedback, admitting his uncertainties. But what made him original was his willingness to test those doubts rather than surrender to them.

This mindset is crucial.

If you can learn to question your ideas without losing faith in yourself, you create room to iterate, improve, and eventually innovate.

3. Originals Often Feel Fear — They Just Don’t Let It Paralyse Them

Original thinkers aren’t fearless. They learn to manage fear. They understand that fear is not a sign to retreat but a signal to pay attention.

Consider Sara Blakely, the founder of Spanx. She was terrified when she launched her shapewear line. She had no background in fashion or business. But she moved forward anyway.

It was not because she lacked fear but because she was driven by conviction.

Many original thinkers take a risk portfolio approach, meaning they balance significant risks in one area with caution in others.

Blakely kept her day job selling fax machines while building Spanx on the side. It gave her psychological safety to experiment boldly.

So, you don’t have to jump off a cliff to be original. Test the waters. Build slowly. Fear is part of the ride.

4. Originals Are Often Late to the Party (and That’s a Good Thing)

We often assume original thinkers are the first movers, those who get there before everyone else. However, research shows that first movers frequently fail.

Mark Zuckerberg didn’t invent social media. Facebook followed Friendster and MySpace.

Google wasn’t the first search engine. It came after Yahoo and AltaVista.

These were “improvers”, not inventors. They waited, learned, and then executed better.

Grant calls this the “first-mover disadvantage.” Being early isn’t the same as being original. Originals take time to understand the landscape, identify weaknesses, and launch with impact.

So if you’ve ever felt “late” to an idea, don’t worry. The best ideas often come from refining, not inventing.

5. They Embrace the Label “Crazy” — and Then Prove It Wrong

Original thinkers often seem weird, disruptive, or even reckless. But that’s because they’re willing to think differently when everyone else conforms.

Take Galileo Galilei, who challenged the notion that the Earth was the centre of the universe. He was ridiculed and punished.

He wasn’t trying to be a rebel. Instead, he stayed true to what he believed was right, even when it was inconvenient.

Original thinking often looks like madness before it becomes genius.

George Bernard Shaw once said, “All progress depends on the unreasonable man.”

6. Originals Often Have Many Bad Ideas Before a Good One Emerges

Original thinkers often produce a ton of ideas. Many of these, however, are mediocre or outright terrible.

Did you know that Pablo Picasso created over 20,000 paintings, prints, drawings, sculptures, etc? Yet, only a handful are considered masterpieces.

Thomas Edison filed 2332 patents worldwide and recorded his work in 4000 notebooks. Whilst he had several successes, many were flops.

What set these individuals apart was their volume of creation. More shots meant more chances of hitting something remarkable.

So, if you want to think more originally, create prolifically. Permit yourself to make bad stuff. Originality thrives in a sea of experimentation.

7. They Surround Themselves with Dissent and Diversity

Original thinkers don’t live in echo chambers.

They seek out disagreement, tension, and fresh perspectives and welcome cognitive friction.

Grant highlights that successful originals often form “challenge networks”, i.e. people who push them, critique them, and challenge their assumptions.

Reed Hastings, co-founder of Netflix, is known for building a culture of candid feedback. At Netflix, disagreeing with the boss is okay (and even encouraged), fueling constant reinvention.

If you want to think differently, surround yourself with people who think differently from you. That’s how your ideas evolve.

How Can You Think More Originally?

Now that we’ve explored some surprising traits of original thinkers let’s talk about how you can develop these habits yourself.

1. Embrace Constructive Procrastination

Give your ideas breathing room. Don’t rush to finalise everything. Instead, explore alternatives, play with possibilities, and allow your subconscious to connect the dots.

2. Keep a “Bad Ideas” File

Instead of pressuring yourself to come up with only great ideas, keep a notebook or folder of bad, weird, and unfinished ideas. Over time, patterns will emerge — and one of those “bad” ideas might be brilliant in disguise.

3. Practice Idea Doubt

Play devil’s advocate with your thinking. Challenge your assumptions. Ask: What would it take to disprove this idea? It strengthens your reasoning and prepares you for pushback.

4. Test Ideas on the Side

Take small, low-risk steps to test your ideas. Start a blog, prototype a product, or pitch a friend. You don’t have to go all in immediately — just start moving.

5. Seek Dissenting Opinions

Actively seek feedback from people who don’t think like you. Listen without defensiveness. Feedback isn’t an attack — it’s a fast track to better thinking.

6. Read Widely and Cross-Disciplinarily

Original thinkers often connect dots from unrelated fields. Read books outside your expertise, watch documentaries on random topics, and feed your brain unexpected input.

7. Build Grit and Stay the Course

Original ideas often fail the first few times. Rejection, criticism, and confusion are part of the process. Keep going. The difference between originals and others is often just persistence.

Conclusion

The most important truth about original thinkers is that they’re not perfect, polished, or always right. Instead, they are persistent, curious, and willing to look foolish while chasing something better.

So dare to be a little unconventional. Question the obvious. Delay the rush. Welcome the awkward silence. Dabble in chaos. Think twice. Write it down. Tear it up. Start over. Say “what if?”

Original thinkers aren’t born. They’re built — one weird, fantastic, wild idea at a time.

Until next time, be a little weird. It’s a Superpower.

Dion Le Roux

References

1. Grant, A. (2016). Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World. Viking.

2. Isaacson, W. (2007). Einstein: His Life and Universe. Simon & Schuster.

3. Isaacson, W. (2011). Steve Jobs. Simon & Schuster.

4. Kleon, A. (2012). Steal Like an Artist. Workman Publishing.

5. Shaw, G. B. (1903). Man and Superman. Penguin Classics.

6. Shapiro, A. (2004). Galileo: A Life. Cambridge University Press.