Lateral Thinking
Many years ago in a small village, a farmer had the misfortune of owing a
large sum of money to the village money lender. The money lender, who was
old
and horrible, 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. Both the farmer and his daughter were horrified by the
proposal.
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.
Standing on a pebble-strewn path in the farmer's field, the money lender
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.
Now, imagine that you were standing in the field that day. What would you
have done if you were the girl? If you had to advise her, what would you
have
told her?
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 this story. Experts use it to make people
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 chose any of the logical choices.
What would you recommend the girl do?
Do not look at the answer yet, give your advise after a few minutes of your
own lateral thinking................
Well, here is what she did.
She 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 was black, they had to assume that she had picked
the white one. And since the moneylender dared 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, which you can
find if you stretch your mind. If logic isn't working, try lateral
thinking.
Lateral thinking is a creative exercise. Practice it every day.
"The secret to success is to know something nobody else knows."
-- A coincidence is when God performs a miracle, and decides to remain
anonymous!
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