A researcher who teaches at Northwestern University, Dr. Zabelina has discovered a link between creative achievement and the ability to broaden a person’s attention. A leaky mental filter is the ability to hold multiple conflicting ideas in tension with each other in a way that they can build upon each other. “People with leaky attention might be able to notice things that others don’t notice or see connections between things,” she told me, “which might lead to a creative idea or creative thought.”
