Author Joshua Wolf Shenk disputes the common conception of the lone genius as the primary generator of creativity in a recent New York Times opinion article. Shenk points to a growing body of social psychology and social neuroscience research showing that individual agency is less important than interpersonal exchange. Shenk’s own study of pairs has led him to conclude that pairs are the primary creative unit.
Other research supports Shenk’s conclusion. While groups can create a sense of community, purpose and audience, sociologist Michael Farrell has found that social and artistic movements often resulted from the creative output of pairs. For example, the French Impressionist movement was largely started by the joint efforts of Monet and Renoir; the Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton partnership drove the American Suffragist movement.
Shenk contends that the creative process is generated by dialectical exchange between two entities, two cultures or two people. We are more likely to interact in a pair more openly and deeply than in a group. The pair is inherently fluid and flexible. Nobody can hide in a pair. Interestingly, Shenk notes that when partners experience interpersonal conflict, their differences may actually generate innovation.