Suspension of disbelief is willingly pausing your critical thinking while in the midst of some action, participation play, or thought experiment. We do this all the time while watching movies (“I believe you can fly”) or reading fiction (“We are in a post-modern society without currency”).

The benefits of suspension of disbelief go beyond simply improving creativity, though--it also encourages empathy and open-mindedness. When immersed in fiction, it's easier to see things from another's perspective because we know they're not real or happening today. This makes it easier for us to understand why someone would react the way they do when faced with adversity or conflict. It also helps us see ourselves as part of something bigger than ourselves--even if only temporarily!

In the corporate world, it allows us to design, build, and sell things that may not exist or have been tried. Once upon a time, I worked with a brilliant former CIO who had come to our consulting company from a well-known consumer software company. While explaining some of our services and what we would offer to new clients, she pointed out that we had never delivered anything like that. Then, with her CIO hat on, she critically analyzed the work, the methods, and our team. Finally, she looked at the service from her experienced buyer’s vantage point and explained why she should not buy the service from us nor why she would not (not could not) in good conscious sell it.

It was a good exercise in suspension of disbelief. As a team, we developed many new services and technology delivery methods that were adjacent to the work we had done. As a result, we have won numerous awards for innovation and leading-edge processes.

Suspension of disbelief is an essential tool for developing empathy. It allows us to see things from another person's perspective, which can help bridge gaps between people and make the world more understanding. It takes us beyond selling things and into corporate culture. When we desire to believe and observe that others can do things we didn’t expect, we can quash ableism, racism, and other defeatist “isms.”

Some practices

• Create a safe space for ideas.
  
• Practice empathy.
  
• Explore different perspectives.
  
• Identify the source(s) of your disbelief.
  
• Practice self-reflection and self-awareness.
• Encourage dialog.

I am not encouraging you to abandon critical thinking. On the contrary, I am asking you to see around corners.