Making the cut
How can one person “think outside the box?” First and foremost, thinking outside the box is an activity which should be done independently; but the question which persists is, how? Consider for example, that you are tasked with cutting a cake into eight slices but you must make no more than three cuts. Most people will probably have trouble coming up with a way to accomplish this. But in order to complete such a task, you really do have to change the way you look at the cake and how to cut it.
One method which can be used to complete this particular cake-cutting task is to cut the cake into two equal sizes, then put one half on top of the other. Cut that first stack in half again and stack the other half pieces on top of one another; then cut them a third time. And there it is, eight slices in three cuts! That’s thinking out of the box.
Another example of thinking out of a box is as follows: Here are four words… subtract, multiply, add, decrease… Now which one does not belong to the group? Most people would quickly say that the word “decrease” does not belong. Why? Because all the other three words are mathematical jargons and the latter is not.
However, that would not be thinking out of the box because if you think out of the box, the correct answer would be the word “add” since it only has three letters while all the other words consist of six and more. In other words, thinking out of the box is not necessarily giving the right answer, but the one that shows more creativity.
A prevailing component
The prevailing component in how our minds work is inserting some changes from past experiences and processes. Another good sample is when you are asked to name two days that start with the letter “T”. Your answer would probably be Tuesday and Thursday. Hey, how about Tomorrow and Today? Well, that is out of the box all right.
Some companies try to test a new product and are sure they are getting a particular design at a reasonable cost. They look at things in the business and think that objectives will work just as planned. But these things sound monotonous already because they only think using past patterns.
Patterns are helpful since they help finish tasks such as driving, eating or drinking, but these are the same patterns that make it hard for people to think out of the box and create alternative solutions to a problem; especially when challenged with unwanted data.
Breaking the pattern
One important step which can be taken to break the pattern is trying to reverse patterns, designs or solutions in order to arouse new interest. Take things as they are and turn them inside out, upside down, or simply turn them around and you’ll be surprised with the results. This was Henry Ford’s personal experience. His conventional plan was just to “bring people to work.” He tried to change all this into: “bring work to the people.” The latter plan generated more revenues.
Another way to create other solutions to simple problems and situations is to not think about the subject. If you want to bring about something more creative, think not of the part of the problem itself, but rather, think of people or subjects in motion and then use the abstract formation or design as a stimulus for a new design.
Odd & absurd ideas
Furthermore, in order to think out of the box, you should never shy away from the fact that some of your ideas could really be crazy enough. This could break rigidity of thinking and present a way to sift the harebrained and irrational. This gives the thinker more freedom to think out of the box and reinvent things in a way they have never been arranged before. What you could do is list several odd or absurd ideas about a certain problem.
Letting go of the question will release any stress you are undergoing by trying to “squeeze” out the creative juices. Once you let it go, all the power of the universe is free to find a solution and the solution will come to you when you least expect it.
In more real life scenarios you could think out of the box just for fun. You can practice fun trouble-making stuff without hurting anyone by saying or doing the unexpected. It is important, however, to make sure that you do this first to persons you already know so as avoid conflicts and unnecessary confrontations. Say for example, a buddy asks for the time; automatically you would look at your wrist watch which is a result of the stimulus-response theory.
The genius of crazy
Thinking out of the box, why not say something crazy like, “Oh it’s time for vengeance,” then head toward the door. Watch their reaction as they go into total confusion and trance as you have totally mixed things up in their heads and interrupted their thinking pattern. (Don’t forget to apologize afterwards)
Thinking out of the box, usually known as creative thinking, seeks to design new and really creative arrangement of elements to produce a work of art. Being an out of the box thinker can be a rewarding profession, and while potentially dangerous, it could be one of your strengths in no time. If the herd is going to the right, you go the other way.
Remember that you could be a genius in your own way as your thoughts come from deep reaches and these totally different ideas are clever enough to make a difference in the end. Thinking creatively and out of the box is wild sometimes, but could move you through the growth and self-development process.
You’ll be surprised at how easy and differently it will be for you to fix and try to solve problems in ways other than the tried-and-true methods. Let your thinking out of the old box be your guide to a new, better and wonderful approach to life.