Tangential thinking

A coworker mentioned to me recently (as a compliment) that I think in tangents.

Mostly, I feel like this is a blessing and a curse. On the wrong side of this, I often find myself straying far off topic, inspired by a random confluence of associations into wild territory, completely unassociated with the topic at hand.

But the benefit, fusing two seemingly unrelated ideas, is a kind of mental alchemy. Discovering unintuitive connections, things which at first glance seem unconnected but which on a deeper dive relate, seems like a uniquely human gift. Therein lies poetry.

I like exploring ideas to the end. You never know where that tangent will take you. Follow it far enough, you might just find it’s not a tangent at all.