I think three-dimensionally. I don't think in black and white lines that I've been programmed to think in. I think in full colors. When I talk, I have to describe a thought in five ways. We enjoy food with multiple seasonings in it. We enjoy music that has multiple instruments. So when I talk. It's not a rant. It's a symphony . — Kanye West



Presenting ideas as a symphony adds more dimensions to a thought, and richness to life.

Kanye said the above quote in an interview with Joe Rogan. It struck a chord with me. It so perfectly captured the brilliance and non-linearity in his thinking. Here is an excerpt from the interview:



Interconnected Ideas

 Ted Nelson , a pioneer in computing who coined the term "hypertext", was in a rowboat with his grandparents when he was five. He started trailing his hand in the water. And here's what he noticed next:

I thought about how the water was moving around my fingers. Opening on one side and closing on the other. And that changing system of relationships where everything was kind of similar. Kind of the same. And yet different. That was so difficult to visualize and express.



Generalizing that to the universe, he went on:

That the world is a system of ever changing relationships and structures struck me as a vast truth.



Triangulating Meaning

When Kanye speaks, he throws seemingly disparate ideas at you. But when they work together, the intended meaning emerges. The inter-relationships between the layers bring the underlying message to life.

An artist a central idea in multiple ways. These forms of expression triangulate the idea. They conjure an otherwise unthinkable thought. Or as the English poet William Wordsworth put it, a "spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings".



Counter-Melody

In   music composition, a  counter-melody  is a secondary melody (a melody is a sequence of notes) written to complement the main melody. It is different from a harmony part, which typically lacks its own distinct melodic line.

This concept is relevant when presenting your ideas to others. This passage from Derek Sivers' essay illustrates the point:

Well, if my advice and opinions sound strange, it’s because I’m just the counter-melody.

I know I’m not the only voice you hear. There’s a common message we all hear these days. Let’s call that the melody.

I may love that melody, too, but I don’t want to just duplicate it. So I try to think of a good counter-melody.



Find and consume symphonies of ideas. Look for ways to compose your own. Use more than one way to describe a thought.

You can often arrive at a deeper appreciation. A deeper understanding.