Thursday, March 3, 2016

Repurposing Lateral Thinking


Ah the left brain/right brain model of the brain. It was the rage at one time, but has since proven too simplistic to capture the brain's complexity. BUT it is an excellent thinking model nonetheless.

When given a problem to solve your impulse will likely fall into one of two categories:

  1. You will identify a strategy, seek evidence and find an answer;
  2. You will identify the answer and seek evidence to prove it.

These strategies resemble deductive and inductive reasoning as a means of solving a problem. The reason you choose one form of reasoning over the other comes from cultural background, early conditioning, education and your own unique way of thinking.

Your mission is to initially act on your impulse and then switch gears to use the other method to assure that your thinking is thorough, comprehensive and solves the problems from differing points of view.