THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LATERAL AND LOGICAL THINKING

Here's a story which caught my imagination today and set me thinking about the "seemingly" insoluble problems which we face in everyday life...

Many years ago in a small Indian village,
A farmer had the misfortune Of owing a large sum of money to a village moneylender.

The Moneylender , who was old and ugly, fancied the farmer's beautiful Daughter. So he proposed a bargain.He said he would forgo the farmer's debt if he could marry his Daughter. Naturally, both the farmer and his daughter were horrified by the Proposal.

So the cunning money-lender suggested that they let Providence decide the matter.

He told them that he would put a black Pebble and a white pebble into an empty money bag. Then the girl would Have to pick one pebble from the bag.

1. If she picked the black pebble, she would become his wife and her father's debt would be forgiven.
2. If she picked the white pebble she need not marry him and her father's debt would still be forgiven.
3. But if she refused to pick a pebble, her father would be thrown into Jail.

They were standing on a pebble strewn path in the farmer's field. As They talked, the moneylender bent over to pick up two pebbles. As he Picked them up, the sharp-eyed girl noticed that he had picked up two black pebbles and put them into the bag.

He then asked the girl to pick a pebble from the bag. Careful analysis would produce three possibilities:

1. The girl should refuse to take a pebble.
2. The girl should show that there were two black pebbles in the bag And expose the money-lender as a cheat.
3. The girl should pick a black pebble and sacrifice herself in order To save her father from his debt and imprisonment.

Take a moment to ponder over the story.

The above story is used with the hope that it will make us appreciate the difference between lateral and logical thinking. The girl's dilemma cannot be solved with Traditional logical thinking.

Think of the consequences if she choosesThe above logical answers.What would you recommend to the Girl to do?

Well, here is what she did ....

The girl put her hand into the moneybag and drew out a pebble. Without Looking at it, she fumbled and let it fall onto the pebble-strewn path where it immediately became lost among all the other pebbles.

"Oh, how clumsy of me," she said. "But never mind, if you look into the Bag for the one that is left, you will be able to tell which pebble I picked."

Since the remaining pebble is black, it must be assumed that she had picked the white one. And since the money-lender dare not admit his Dishonesty, the girl changed what seemed an impossible situation into an extremely advantageous one.

MORAL OF THE STORY
Most complex problems do have a solution. It is only that we don't ATTEMPT to think.

Life!

These have been the days of days for contemplation and meditation. Days when I found myself drowned in the materialistic pleasures that this civilization can throw onto us and yet I found myself asking some deeper inner questions amidst this state of plenty.

Most of us sleep walk through life.

Now some people may take offense at this statement, but if we look closely, then one does realize that most of our responses to life’s deeper questions have been “automatic”. We plan for business outcomes, projects and even money making schemes. We plan for annual priorities or goals at office, in essence we plan for everything - yet how many of us plan for life?

During younger days, the thirst for newer experiences takes us places and when we get a little older the fascination towards nature decreases in intensity and we turn towards the very real and practical problems of getting by both financially and otherwise – through the quagmire that is life…

I often remember the fascination I held for the celestial bodies (naw… I am not referring to those originating in Bollywood or Hollywood) – often looking at them through home made telescopes and wondering if there is anyone out there. Flights of imagination, fancy produced fantastic creatures which lived in oceans of Venus and of exotic creatures from Mars… Alas the illusion is broken when one gets older. The world of elders is much more practical

There are more practical things to worry about – the EMI for the house, buying things which we don’t need to impress people we don’t know or even if knew – wouldn’t like to be associated with… and the innocence is lost. We no longer question whether anyone lives on the moon or planets or if there is life “elsewhere”. We even stop planning long term.

I remember during my childhood – of dreams of becoming a scientist, an astronaut, explorer, writer – all at the same time. And now that 20 years have gone by… the dreams are no longer so vivid.

But as we age, our focus shifts. Planning for life is a tough thing. Have you ever asked yourself some really deep questions?

For example, I have tried to enumerate some of them…

• What is your deepest desire
• What would one like to accomplish in one’s life?
• What would one like to accomplish this year?
• Where would one like to be in 5 years?
• Where would one like to be in 20 years?
• What is one really good at?

Obviously there are deeper questions still, such as:

• What would one do if one had enough money not to work ever again?
• What were one’s dreams when one was younger?
• What does one think is impossible for one to do?
• What would one do if one won a million dollars?
• What would one do if this was the last day of one’s life?
• What would one do if one couldn't fail?
• What are one’s strengths and talents?
• Does one has a wish but doesn’t know how to fulfill it?
• What does one admire most about others?
• What would one’s ideal lifestyle look like?
• What does success mean for one?
• What makes one really happy?
• Is there anything that needs to be invented?
• What does a perfect day look like for one?
• What would one do if there were no restrictions?
• What really excites one?
• What would one be honored and recognized for?
• Where does one see one’s life in ten years?
• If one were immortal, what would one do with one’s life?
• What needs to change to make this a better world?
• What would one do if one were Superman?
• What is one proud of?
• What would one do if one were the President?
• What would one like to accomplish this year?
• What would one do differently if one could start over again?

To be able to answer such questions, one needs to do a lot more than spend an evening with oneself… it is a journey to one’s inner self… of self-discovery…

How many have undertaken it?