What Is An Idea?
Have you ever really thought about what an idea is? How would you describe it? Go ahead, think about it. Come up with a definition of an idea without looking it up in the dictionary.
Got it? Chances are, you never tried to quantify what an idea is in words. It’s important to be able to define the very thing that you’re constantly looking for. We all want ideas for a million dollar business. We all want ideas for how to find that perfect love match. We all want ideas for how to live 120 years. But if you can’t easily express what an idea is, how will you easily get more ideas?
The formal definition
In case you haven’t already looked it up in a dictionary, the word “idea” is defined in my dictionary as: “Something, such as a thought, that exists in the mind as a product of mental activity.” Does that help you at all? Not me.
Chance The Genie definition
For those the above definition didn’t help, I’ve got a definition makes the elusive concept of an idea so simple:
An idea is the use of anything that exists.
The Breakdown of the definition
Let’s break this definition down into two parts. First, an idea involves anything that exists. This can describe anything that we can see, touch, feel, smell, and hear. Second, an idea is a use for the thing that exists. This use is really the meat of what an idea is. By use, I’m talking about doing anything that will solve a problem.
Think of a tree. What ideas can you think of that involve a tree? Well, if you’re tired, you can lean on a tree. If a bear is chasing after you, you can climb a tree. And if you’re lonely, you can be a treehugger 
. We can even use trees to solve the ideas I discussed above. Want a million dollar business? Use trees to make and sell paper to become the next Dunder Mifflin! Want to find the love of your life? Use the agarwood tree’s rich resin that’s used in perfume, and sweep Mr. Right off his feet! Want to live 120 years? Trees such as white willow and horse chestnut are commonly used by herbalists to reduce fever and pain, making you all the healthier!
Ideas come from already existing ideas
Note that once an idea is created, that idea now becomes the thing that exists. This means that new ideas can be created from an old idea. This is an important thing to understand, because many ideas are created from previous ideas. For example, a nichrome wire is an alloy of nickel and chromium that can endure high heat. But the idea of nichrome became the basis for new ideas, most notably toasters, hair dryers, and electric ovens.
So now we know exactly what an idea is. Maybe you’ve come up with an even better definition than I’ve given. That’s a good thing - it may mean you’re going to have better ideas!
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