Why humans innovate.
Did it ever occur to you that animals do not innovate? And why that is? I mean: You could talk to your cat and tell her an idea and she might even react to it, but she will never ever come up with an idea for herself.
Small kids though will come up with ideas as soon as they can talk and listen. The will reinvent, propose new things, mix and match ideas that they have seen and heard.
So what’s the difference? One explanation could be Malsows “Hierarchy of needs” pyramid. Humans want to fulfil not only their most basic biological or physical needs if they can get higher up in the pyramid and cover safety, belongingness, esteem and – highest in the pyramid – self actualization.
Of course, the way up in the pyramid leads through ideas. To get a level up, you need to be inventive, create opportunities, implement. And that is what sets humans apart, I guess.
On the other hand, maybe it is sometimes easier to be the cat 
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October 8th, 2009 at 10:50 am
Charles Darwin noted: “In the long history of humankind (and animalkind, too) those who learned to collaborate and improvise most effectively have prevailed.” (as in: Daniel Fasnacht, Open Innovation in the Financial Services, p.95)
Seems like Darwin thought differently.
Sorry, Nadja, but as it turns out, being a cat isn’t all that easier