Shankar Vedantam explores research showing that serious romantic relationships with partners from different cultures predict higher creativity. The depth of the partnership matters most: deep, ongoing engagement with a different worldview rewires the brain for creative thinking, while casual contact does not.
Would you believe me if I told you that the people you date can shape how creative you are? Scientists tracked a group of volunteers to see what predicted creativity. One strong signal turned out to be a serious romantic relationship with someone from a different culture. Researchers think the depth of the relationship is what makes the difference. Casual cross-cultural friendships didn't show the same effect. Surface-level contact with people who are different from you will not change how you think. A close relationship will. Wrestling deeply with a different worldview can rewire your brain in a way that casual contact will not.
