Linus Pauling’s maxim overturns the romantic myth of singular inspiration. Rather than waiting for a perfect lightning bolt, he implies a practical truth: good ideas are the rare peaks in a landscape explored by many attempts. This reframes failure from stigma to strategy, signaling that discarded notions are not waste but waypoints. By normalizing volume, Pauling invites us to treat creativity as a process that rewards persistent exploration, not just talent or timing. From this standpoint, the central question shifts from “How do I find one brilliant idea?” to “How do I create the conditions for many?” [...]
