por What is lateral thinking?
He lateral thinking reflects a way of solving problems in which creative and imaginative solutions are used, hints, without falling into the most obvious options.
It moves away from vertical logic, which is the traditional method of solving problems (step by step, following the available data). Nor is it identified with the so-called «horizontal» thought, which has many ideas, but does not know how to detail them to put them into motion.
The first person who spoke about lateral thinking was Edward de Bono, in 1967. For him there are very intelligent people because they have accumulated a lot of knowledge.
However, there are others who have average intelligence, but have extraordinary thinking strategies that lead to success. This is lateral thinking.
Lateral thinking exercises
Lateral thinking can be trained through multiple exercises. Basically they teach to see things from another perspective.
1. Random relationship generation
Choose a random object or a noun, and try to associate it with the theme you are dealing with at that moment or the problem you want to solve.
For example, we choose the noun «chair» and we want to solve the problem of «how to lose weight»:
– Raise a chair to do weight training.
– Run around a chair.
– Lean on the chair to do squats.
2. Challenge of ideas: the why of things
Wondering «why?» in an open and unprejudiced way, we can challenge any idea and avoid obvious and typical explanations.
An example would be asking the following question: «why do coffee cups have handles?» The most obvious answer would be: “so as not to burn ourselves”.
However, we can question this fact: “the cups could have independent handles for each finger, or two handles on each side. Or why should coffee be hot?
Try to ask yourself these questions with phenomena around you and look for alternative and ingenious ideas. Here are a few to practice:
– Why do colors exist?
– Why are the keys on the keyboard arranged like this?
– Why do the shirts have buttons?
– Why are televisions rectangular?
riddles
(The answers to the riddles are at the end.)
3. The bottle of wine
A bottle of wine filled halfway and stoppered with a cork. How to drink wine without removing the cork or breaking the bottle?
4. The glass cleaner
The boy who was cleaning the windows in a skyscraper was on the 25th floor when he slipped and fell. He was not wearing a safety harness and nothing stopped his fall. However, he had no injuries, why?
5. The dead man in the meadow
They find a dead man in a meadow. There is a closed package near him, and there is no one in that place. How did he die?
6. The three rooms
You have to choose between three rooms:
– In the first, there is a fire.
– The second, there are tigers that have not eaten in 3 months.
– The third is full of assassins with loaded machine guns.
What room would you choose?
7. The abandoned house
Imagine that you are alone, at night, in an abandoned house. There you find an oil lamp, a candle and firewood, but you only have a match. What would you light first?
8. The cake
Using only a straight cut, how would you cut a rectangular cake into two equal parts when you have previously cut a rectangular piece?
9. The man on the tenth floor
A man lives on the tenth floor of a building. Every day he takes the elevator down to the ground floor to get out. When he returns, he gets into the elevator and hits the seventh floor. He then he goes up the ladder to the tenth. Why do this?
10. The cat
What part of the cat has more hair?
11. The coffee
This morning I dropped an earring in the cafe. And although the cup was full, the earring did not get wet. How could it be?
12. The race
During a race, you pass the second runner. What position are you in?
13. The war
In World War I, soldiers were required to wear a brown cloth cap. The military authorities were alarmed by the large number of head injuries. For this reason, they made the decision to replace the cap with metal helmets. However, the incidence of head injuries increased.
Furthermore, the intensity of the war did not change, it was the same as before. Why do you think the number of head injuries increased?
14. The Hungry Dog
A dog is tied by the neck to a 2 meter long rope. How can he reach a bone that is 4 meters from him?
15. The days
Name three days in a row without using the words «Tuesday,» «Thursday,» or «Saturday.»
16. The 20-story building
How can a person fall from a twenty story building and survive? It doesn’t matter what it falls on, nor is it related to luck.
17. The Bear
A man built a rectangular house, and each side faces south. He saw a bear, what color was he?
18. Pop a balloon
How do you puncture a balloon without the air escaping and without making a noise?
19. The Armed Waiter
A man walks into a bar and asks the waiter for a glass of water. The waiter bends over looking for something. At the moment he pulls out a gun, and points it at the man. He pauses, before saying «thank you», and leaves. What happened?
20. World record
In 1930 two men traveled in a Ford car from New York to Los Angeles, a journey of 5,375 kilometers that took 18 days.
It was not the fastest or slowest trip or the first one made. The car was normal, as were the roads and the drivers. However, they broke a world record thanks to said tour. Because?
21. The old woman, the friend and the couple
One stormy night, you are driving through the city when you see three people at a bus stop:
– An old friend who saved your life.
– An old woman who looks like she is about to die.
– The perfect couple you have always wanted to meet.
You can only choose one passenger. Who would you ride in your car?
22. The Killer Firefighter
Following an anonymous call, the police enter a house to arrest an alleged murderer. They do not know what he looks like, they only know that his name is John and that he is inside the house.
In the house they find four people: one is a carpenter, another drives a truck, the other works in a mechanical workshop and the last one works in the fire station.
Without asking any questions and without a moment’s hesitation, they immediately arrest the firefighter. How did they know he was the culprit?
23. Driver’s license
A lady left her driver’s license at home. She did not stop at the crosswalk, she ignored the no-direction sign and traveled three blocks in the wrong direction on a one-way street. A traffic officer saw all this and did not react. Because?
24. Eggs
There are 6 eggs in a basket. 6 people take one egg each. How can there still be an egg in the basket?
25. The stranger in bed
For work reasons, Mr. González traveled abroad and returned home 2 months later. When he entered his house, he found his wife sharing a bed with a stranger. Mr. González was very happy, how do you explain it?
26. The Teacup
A man was drinking a cup of tea when he suddenly went blind. What happened?
27. Sell the truth
One manufacturer claimed that if middle-aged people told the truth more often, he would sell a lot more products. What did he make?
28. The suitcase
Pedro went into a luggage store to buy a suitcase. The clerk told him: “it is very strange that customers buy suitcases. Why don’t you rent it?» Why did he tell her this?
29. The movie
Tom and Joe went to see a movie. There were many other people there. During a quiet scene, Tom pulled out a gun. Joe yelled, “don’t shoot!” but Tom shot him.
When Tom tried to leave the theater, the audience held him back. The police were there and did not capture him. Because?
Answers
3. The wine bottle: sinking the cork into the bottle.
4. The window cleaner: I was cleaning the windows inside the building.
5. The dead man in the meadow: The man jumped out of a plane because it was going to crash. The sealed package near him was the parachute, which didn’t work.
6. The three rooms: The second room. If the tigers have not eaten in three months, they are dead.
7. The abandoned house: The match.
8. The cake: You cut the cake horizontally, halfway up (parallel to the top).
9. The man on the tenth floor: The man is dwarf, and his height allows him to press the button on the ground floor, while the button on the seventh floor is the maximum he reaches.
10. The cat: The exterior is the part of the cat that has the most hair.
11. Coffee: We tend to think that coffee must be liquid, but it could really be grain or powder, so the earring did not get wet.
12. The race: If you pass the second person, you are the second.
13. War: It is not the same to have a head injury than to die. With the cloth cap, if a soldier was shot in the head he would probably die, very few survived. However, with the metal helmet, head injuries increased, but the death toll decreased.
14. The hungry dog: Running, since the rope that is tied to its neck is not tied to any place.
15. The days: Yesterday, today and tomorrow.
16. The 20-story building: You can survive if you fall from the first floor.
17. The bear: The bear was white, since only at the North Pole can the four walls face south.
18. Puncture a balloon: The balloon is deflated.
19. The armed waiter: The man came to the bar asking for a glass of water to solve his hiccups. The waiter chose to scare him by pretending that he was going to shoot him to get rid of his hiccups. He finally got it, so he said «thank you» and left without drinking the water.
20. World record: They broke the record because they did the entire trip in reverse. Those men were Charles Creighton and James Hargis.
21. The old woman, the friend and the couple: You can take the old woman to the hospital, or choose to take your friend to return the favor. But you probably wouldn’t find the person you like again.
The most suitable answer would be to give your friend the car keys to take the old woman to the hospital, and stay waiting for the bus with the person of your dreams.
22. The Killer Firefighter: They knew because everyone else in the room was female.
23. Driver’s license: The lady was walking.
24. The eggs: There is still one egg left because the sixth person took it inside the basket.
25. The stranger in bed: The stranger in bed is about his son, a newborn baby.
26. The cup of tea: The man had left the teaspoon in the cup when he drank, and it hit him in the eye, temporarily blinding him.
27: Selling the Truth: Made candles for birthday cakes.
28. The suitcase: Pedro was in the western part of Tokyo. The houses there are very small, and normally people try to save…