What is lateral thinking and how can you develop it?

Most people have a very standard wish list: a house - a full bowl, a prestigious job, a smart husband (a beautiful wife), children - both smart and handsome, a dacha on the banks of a river (lake, pond, sea). We all want about the same thing. But we get it in different ways. It all depends on how a person goes to achieve their dreams. It is known that for those who know how to think outside the box, solving any issues, whether it be a professional environment or everyday difficulties, is much easier than the general mass, who thinks in a standard way.

Thinking outside the box - it is the ability to think outside the framework of generally accepted norms and rules... This does not mean that you need to violate all laws, including the criminal code or the norms of public morality, they still need to be observed, but there are also rules that can be violated. Standard thinking, or, as it is also called in psychology, convergent, involves actions according to strictly defined standards and algorithms.

However, even in science, the highest achievements are achieved by those who allow themselves some originality. They do not recognize generally accepted, imposed beliefs, they try to check everything themselves in order to have their own opinion about what is really good and what is bad. For a person with lateral thinking, finding a solution means not just finding the right answer, but several possible answers.

First of all, in order not to get stuck at a certain stage of development. A person with standard thinking sooner or later turns into a biomachine that does everything according to a program previously embedded in it. His brain stops working at full capacity. As a result, the individual degrades. A person with lateral thinking acts more efficiently. He is not afraid of challenging tasks. Rather, they even amuse him.

You will not meet him in a crowd blindly following a certain leader, he himself is a leader and leader. Unfortunately, even in childhood, stereotypes are laid in our heads, which are difficult to get rid of. The most striking example of how standard thinking is instilled is the school curriculum. Rules, formulas, theorems - we cram them and do not question them. But what if the parallel lines do intersect? We are told that there is no need to reinvent the wheel. What if you would create something completely new and worth trying?

It is known that people with a non-standard type of thinking have a hard time with secondary education.... Perhaps the most striking and well-known example of this is Albert Einstein. In childhood, the future Nobel laureate was not distinguished by good knowledge and excellent grades at school. Even his own parents did not really appreciate him. But those who were lucky enough to communicate with him in adulthood, assured that they had been in another dimension.

Sometimes it really seems that some of the most prominent people are from outer space. But they were born and grew up with us. So why do some people succeed in everything, while others - nothing? By the way, there are many excellent students among these “others”. But along with a certificate and a medal, they seem to receive a curse that prevents them from moving on in life. They are clamped within the curriculum. Together with teachers and textbooks, they lose the guides that show them the way, and are simply lost. But all this is fixable. The main thing is to start acting out of habit, to break yourself and choose a new vector of movement.

People would never fly into space, if there weren't those among them who lather outside the box. It was they who proved that the earth is round, and not supported by three elephants or whales. And they did it with a threat to life, and many parted with it. The Inquisition Tribunal has ruined more than one bright mind. But Giordano Bruno, who died at the hands of the Inquisition, back in the 16th century, proved his conclusions about the infinity of the universe and even about the existence of many worlds.

Let's consider a more common example. How many ways did the heroine of Nadezhda Rumyantseva Tosya Kislitsina from the legendary film "Girls" have to cook potatoes? And you? A person lives within the framework that he has set for himself. Get rid of templates as much as possible. Of course, for adults, this process will be more difficult than for a child. Children's brains are not yet “crammed” with standard thoughts. It is more common for children to fantasize, compose, and experiment. So let yourself fall into childhood at least for a while.

Try to find unusual uses for familiar things. A regular pencil, if desired, can be used both as a pointer, and as a hair clip, and as ... Think of 5 different ways yourself. With the pencil sorted out. Take the next item.

Make it a rule to solve at least one such problem a day. Stop eating scrambled eggs for breakfast. Think of 5 ways to cook eggs. Better yet 10. Depart from standards in everything. Try to change your route from home to work and back. Change your daily routine. Try different options anytime, anywhere.

We do the same thing every morning. And most often in a certain sequence. Break this law. Let each day start differently from the previous one.... Diversify it with music, do exercises, and over and over again change the set of exercises. Don't be afraid to change your work schedule. Do not be intimidated by any changes in principle. Try to live "the other way around" for one day. Do everything as it is convenient for you, and not as you are used to.

It is known that it is more developed in left-handers. It is believed that among them there are more creative people who think outside the box. Are you not left-handed? No problem. Get your right brain to work with simple exercises - at least brushing your teeth with your left hand.

Help develop lateral thinking dancing. Experts call the sense of rhythm a direct path to thinking outside the box. In addition, movement to music is not only a way of self-expression, it develops coordination. The development of lateral thinking is also facilitated by classes in various types of needlework. Another way to learn to think outside the box is card games. Poker, of course, is not suitable for preschool children, but an adult will teach a lot. Checkers and chess are also welcome.

Everything new is well forgotten old or vice versa. Apply different methods to solve any problem. Even if we are talking about a banal payment of utility bills. You should not go to the post office or to the bank every time out of habit. Use the mobile application of a financial institution. Do this with the nearest ATM using a barcode. Etc. Take yourself out of your comfort zone even in such small things.

We follow the path of greatest resistance. When looking for an answer to any question, determine what most of the people around you would do. Try to do exactly the opposite, or at least a little differently. Come up with at least 5 options for each task. One of them will certainly prove to be more effective than the generally accepted ones.

Brainstorming is a method that is suitable for more than just group work. You can build it yourself. Take a piece of paper and write down everything that comes to your mind on a given topic. Exactly everything - even what seems absolutely impossible to you. Do not be afraid of your thoughts, they are your friends, not enemies.

Start saying the words in reverse. Start with short sentences, then try with small sentences. At the initial stage, signs in stores can help. Just read them the other way around. Do this several times a day.

Build a house. You dreamed about it for a long time. So the time has come at least to design it. But it will be an unusual building. The most unexpected materials will be used to create it. Which? Ask your subconscious mind. Write on a piece of paper the first 10 words that come to mind for objects, fruits, vegetables, and so on. Now get down to creating an architectural masterpiece. What do you have. A pineapple? Let the windows look like this sweet fruit. Buckets? Place them in the kitchen instead of stools. The task is to find an application for each item on the list.

Do the usual things in an unusual way. We have already talked about the need to brush your teeth with a non-working hand from time to time. Let's complicate the task. Try dressing without the aid of one hand, blindfolded or standing on one leg, for example. Create yourself a little hardship so you don't run into major hardships.

It is trite, but the fact is, how “wide” we can think depends on the breadth of our horizons. Read more. Take a variety of literature. Expand your vocabulary and knowledge in different directions. Watch documentaries about the development of genetic engineering and the life of Indian tribes. Explore the culture and traditions of other nations.

Travel more. If you do not have enough funds for overseas travel, explore the neighboring regions. And by the way, while you can learn a foreign language. It is also very helpful in developing lateral thinking. Look for the unusual in everything.Create stories with clouds as heroes. Write letters to yourself. Write down even your craziest ideas. Anyone can come in handy sooner or later. Move the day of general cleaning from this Saturday to the next. Spend your next day off at a museum, theater or cinema.