Why the best solutions often feel like common sense in hindsight
In short: Most problems are solved by moving from one known idea to a new one, rather than following a straight line of logic. This is lateral thinking: a deliberate shift from familiar patterns to unexpected ones. It doesn't just find answers; it moves your mind to see what was previously invisible.
First introduced in 1967 by Maltese psychologist Edward de Bono, lateral thinking is defined by its departure from 'vertical thinking'—the traditional, step-by-step analytical approach to problem-solving. While critical thinking focuses on judging the truth or errors in a statement, lateral thinking prioritizes 'movement value.' It is the art of moving from a known idea to a new one by breaking current patterns, such as the status quo or routine habits. To achieve this, De Bono developed specific tools categorized into four types: idea-generating (to break patterns), focus (to broaden the search), harvest (to extract value), and treatment (to consider real-world constraints). One notable method is 'provocation'—using statements known to be wrong or impossible to spark new concepts.
For example, the impossible premise that a factory is 'downstream of itself' forced a shift in thinking that eventually became law in some countries regarding river pollution. Another technique involves 'fractionation,' which involves breaking a commonplace view into multiple alternative situations to see a problem from different angles. This can lead to solutions that appear obvious only after they are discovered. Research on engineering students suggests that those demonstrating higher lateral thinking abilities could solve open-ended problems both faster and more accurately. By systematically expanding the range of concepts, thinkers can produce many alternatives for problems that previously seemed to have only one possible solution.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Lateral thinking
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