Brainstorms

Give Your Good Idea a Fake Passport

People are more open to suggestions that seem to come from somewhere exotic.

Published

2 months ago

December 21, 2025

INSTORE Staff Instore January 2026 Issue

Sometimes presenting an idea as coming from outside — like a bestselling business author — can increase the chance of it being accepted. IMAGE: GENERATED BY MIDJOURNEY

HERE’S SOMETHING WORTH KNOWING: When an idea arrives from far away — Iceland, Tokyo, a bestselling consultant — we see possibility. When it arrives from nearby — a coworker, a spouse — we see obstacles. Researcher Jennifer Mueller proved this. Distance makes us abstract thinkers. Proximity incites practical thinking, which is a polite way of saying everyone immediately identifies nine reasons it won’t work. The solution is simple and only slightly dishonest: Give your idea a fake origin story. That thing your spouse suggested becomes “something I read about.” It’s a small lie in service of getting good things done, which feels okay.

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