20/20 Gonzo 88: Think Tank Thoughts

Think of what a think tank does, research and advocacy.  These require completely different skills.  Research, that scientific research, the kind that has no hope, no emotion, only data.  Along with hunches and guts, these researchers should be relentless, they should work long hours, they should attend data translation conventions, they should learn the art of the question.  Every dime store think tank wanna be chump or chumpette has brilliant answers, but only the select few have brilliant questions.

Then advocacy, that art of all think tank arts.  Persuasion and the need for excitement, intrigue, and creativity.  Boil down all the thinking to the nut.  Actually, three nuts.  Persuasion is always best in threes, set it up and summarize, it's virtually impossible to numerate too much.  A common problem with think tanks is the researchers want to be advocates and the advocates want to be researchers.

 

Understanding this phenomenon can give a think tank a thinking chance, but it's rare.  Singers want to act and actors want to sing, dogs want to purr and cats want to growl, thinking gets lost and tanks go dry.  Usually, these think tank thoughts reflect shallow conformity and predetermined conclusions.  Water logged minds, soggy and full of dull confusion.  Useless, thoughtless beggars, thinking of how to make payroll.