Whilst I was listening to the radio I heard the host of a classical music programme say that she did not ‘get the point’ of a certain composer’s music. The composer in question was Frederick Delius.

Delius is well known for his musical portraits of rural scenes, such as ‘In a Summer Garden’ and ‘On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring’. His orchestral music is rich, lush and colourful. The experience of listening to it can be likened to taking a relaxing countryside work along a quiet riverbank on a sultry summer’s evening.

Now, it is very likely that there are people that do not ‘get the point’ of such walks and also, like the radio presenter, perhaps they do not ‘get the point’ of music that offers a similar experience. Others, however, may beg to differ and be keen to offer insights that make the point of such experiences clear.

Also, those that initially do not ‘get the point’ of such activities may well begin to ‘get it’ when, despite their misgivings, they stick with it and take the summery walks and listen to Delius’s music. Even if they continue to fail to gain from such experiences, they may at the very least begin to appreciate the benefits gained by others.

Being able to put one’s views and beliefs aside for a while and then actively seek out and attempt to understand the perceptions of others is an important element of creative problem solving. If we can master it we will begin to widen our understanding of the problems before us and provide ourselves with additional and enhanced options for addressing them.

When you are struggling to see the point of something do your best to enhance your understanding of it by trying some of the following: