How can a person think “out of the box”? This must be done independently, but how? Here’s an example: Cut a cake into eight slices but you don’t have to make more than three cuts. Most people will have trouble figuring out how to cut a cake. But to solve this you have to change the way you look at the cake and the way you cut it. A perfect solution is to cut the cake into two equal sizes and place the other half on top of the other. Cut it in half again and stack the other half pieces on top of each other and cut again. There you go, he’s thinking outside the box.
Another example of out-of-the-box thinking is this: here are the four words… subtract, multiply, add, subtract… now doesn’t belong to which group? Most people will immediately say that the word “lack” does not belong. Why? Because all other three terms are mathematical jargon and the latter is not. Well, that’s not off-the-beaten-path thinking, if you think off-road, the answer would be the word “add” because it only has three letters while all others have six or more. You can give many correct answers but the one who shows more creativity stands out.
The prevailing component in the way our brains work is exerting some change from past experiences and processes. Another good example is when you are asked two days that begin with the letter “T”. Your answer will probably be Tuesday and Thursday. Hey, what about yesterday and today? Well, it is absolutely out of the box. Companies try to test a new product and are sure they are getting a design at a reasonable cost. They see things in business and think that the objectives will work out as planned. But these things seem monotonous at first, because they only think of using the past as a pattern. Patterns are helpful because they help them complete tasks such as driving, eating or drinking. However, it is these same patterns that make it difficult for people to think out-of-the-box and create alternative solutions to the dilemma, especially when challenged with unwanted data.
An important step in breaking the pattern is trying to reverse the pattern, design or solution and spark new interest. Take things as they are and turn them inside out, upside down, or just twist them and you’ll be surprised with the result. This was the personal experience of Henry Ford. His traditional plan was just to “get people to work”. He tried to turn it all like this: “Get work for the people.” The scheme generated more revenue.
Another way to find other solutions to simple problems and situations is to not think about the subject. If you want to do something more creative, don’t think about part of the problem, but think about the people or subjects in motion and then use the abstract formation or design as inspiration for a new design.
But for thinking out-of-the-box, never shy away from the fact that some of your ideas can actually be quite crazy. It can break down the rigidity of thinking and offer a way to filter out the mindless and irrational. It gives the thinker more freedom to think out of the box and reproduce things in a way they have never been arranged before. You can list several strange or absurd ideas about a certain problem.
Letting go of the question will release the stress you are going through by attempting to “squeeze” the creativity. Once you let it go, all the power in 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 can think out of the box for fun. You can practice funny things without hurting anyone by saying or doing the unexpected. But make sure you do it first with people you already know to avoid conflicts and negative confrontations. Suppose, a friend asks for time, automatically you will look at your wrist watch which is the result of stimulus-response principle. Why not say something crazy, thinking out of the box, “Oh, it’s time for vengeance,” then head for the door. Watch their reaction as they go into complete confusion and trance because you have completely mixed things up in their mind and disrupted their way of thinking. (don’t forget to apologize later)
Out-of-the-box thinking or commonly known as creative thinking seeks to create new and truly creative arrangements of elements to produce a work of art. Being an out-of-the-box thinker can be a rewarding profession. It’s dangerous, but it could be one of your strengths in no time. If the herd is going to the right, you can go the other way.
Remember that you can be talented in your own way. Your thoughts come from deep within and these completely different thoughts are clever enough to make a difference in the end. Being creative and out of the box is wild sometimes, but it can propel you through growth and self-development. You’d be surprised how easy and different it will be for you to fix it and try to solve things away from what you’ve tried
