Easter Island Analysis

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How would you describe a tree? It's a simple question that could yield an almost infinite number of responses; however, do you really expect vast disparities between others' replies? Of course not. There is most likely familiar or even systematic answers with how people respond. Although this may seem like a meaningless question, how a person chooses to respond can help identify the individual's problem solving thought processes and overall creative mindset. Unfortunately, as we grow older, we gradually lose some ability to generate unique ideas as a result of the way we are taught to think. Through institutionalized education, from the beginning of elementary school all the way through college, we, as U.S. students, continue to limit or even…show more content…
While most commonly known for erecting large stone heads, the indigenous Polynesian residents that once inhabited the island are also notable for their inability to adapt to their unsustainable situation, resulting in their eventual demise. As the islanders' population grew over a gradual period of time, they faced a crisis: As they cut the forest down quicker then it could regenerate, and hunted wildlife too frequently, native plant and animals became extinct. As Jared Diamond pointed out, “any islander who tried to warn about the dangers of progressive deforestation would have been overridden by vested interests of bureaucrats and chiefs” (Diamond, Jared). This illustrates how a society that fails to recognize negative externalities and that avoids innovating sustainable living practices will inevitably die out. Thus, creativity can help us analyze current situations and extrapolate consequences that may result from poor habits. Unfortunately in today's society, people are losing a large amount of creativity throughout their years of…show more content…
Many of them would simply say that they look like giant umbrellas or pieces of broccoli. They would describe the trees based off their mass saying that, “some are more flexible than others,” as well as how they smelled recalling that, “[eucalyptus] smell like sweet mint mixed with salty ocean water.” This revealed to me that younger kids tend to use more analogies and give a variety of responses, which shows that even with less years of experience interacting with trees than college freshman have had, the younger kids were able to paint more vivid images of what constitutes a
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