How to Trick Our Brains into Being Innovative
Are you out of ideas?
A father and his son were in a car accident,
the father died on the spot whereas his son was rushed to the hospital
But upon seeing the boy, the surgeon said “He is my son!”
How can this be?
The Obvious Approach:
It is impossible, as the father died on the spot.
This is not a stupid answer, it makes sense. Doesn’t it?
This is called Vertical thinking. Vertical thinking involves a logical approach. It is a finite process, perfectly analytical and sequential.
The Creative Approach:
- The surgeon can be the boy’s mother.
2. Probably, the person who died was the boy’s foster father and the surgeon, his biological father.
3. Who knows, maybe the surgeon is lying! lol.
This is a far more creative approach
This is called Lateral thinking. Lateral thinking involves creating new alternatives. It is not sequential and involves problem-solving with different angles of thinking.
The term was coined in 1967 by Edward de Bono.
Lateral thinking is not about being “right” or “wrong”, it is about finding optimal solutions, freeing your imagination and thinking out of the box.
Lateral Thinking and Schooling:
In schools, young minds are trained to take problems head-on and follow a series of logical steps to reach a final solution that is either right or wrong.
Over the years, we become used to vertical thinking and as we move forward in our careers, a pattern of thinking is engraved in our minds.
Vertical thinking is necessary but lateral thinking leads to innovation.
Your Guide to Thinking Laterally:
#1 Grab a Dictionary!
I’m not kidding. Open a dictionary:
The Problem: There is a blackout in your area.
Look for a random word in the dictionary. So, the word you got is: Wallet
Oh, can your wallet help with the blackout? ( it only has a 10-dollar bill in it .lol). Yes? That’s great!
No? Where is your wallet? You left it in the car? Go grab it.
Wait. Sit in the car for a while, and give your mind some time to think.
It is called slow thinking. Your mind needs an ‘incubation period’ to process and come up with unique ideas.
In a world obsessed with fast thinking, slow thinking is always underestimated.
Still don’t have any idea? No problem.
You are just getting out of your car when it strikes you!
The Car Engine! Can you use it to generate electricity?
So, don’t be a vertical thinker sitting on the couch with a torch. Think out of the box and come up with a crazy idea!
#2 Do it Another Way
- Drive to the same place using a different route.
- Are you a poet? Try writing prose.
- What about delivering your orders by drone?
- Are you used to oil paintings? Try using acrylics.
- Learn a language with a different sentence structure.
- Try adding different ingredients to your perfect curry recipe.
- Suspend your judgments and think of other possibilities.
The aim is to re-wire your thinking patterns, remove the barriers and let your imagination run wild!
Respond to this story with your tips for lateral thinking.
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