Innovation is one of those words that seem to fit well with an ideology of economical growth. The concept has found its place within a vocabulary of individual, national and international competition with respect to knowledge and skills. The presuppositions of this ideology seem to be that the skills of a nation’s population should be to the benefit of national incomes, competition is involved in this pursuitis But does competition really promote creativity and innovation? Michel Serres thinks differently: Truth should not assume the right of spreading in space. Now, I would not judge as true what cannot or does not hold back from conquest. Thus, reason seeks not to submit to an empire. It reserves some reason to retain its reason. The `gentle and reasonable man´ can thus disobey reason, so that margins are born around him, to provide novelty. Competition might, according to Serres, promote a defensive attitude, and might in fact work against innovation and creativity. One has in certain ways to disobey reason and even to promote a revolt in order truly to be able to be inventive. I make Serres’ insights relevant to innovation and creativity in educational research and to art education.