1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:02,520 Learn to Think Using Riddles, 2 00:00:02,520 --> 00:00:03,480 Brain Teasers, 3 00:00:03,480 --> 00:00:04,760 and Wordplay: 4 00:00:04,760 --> 00:00:06,240 Develop a Quick Wit, 5 00:00:06,240 --> 00:00:08,600 Think More Creatively and Cleverly, 6 00:00:08,600 --> 00:00:16,560 and Train your Problem-Solving instincts By Patrick King, narrated by russell newton. 7 00:00:16,560 --> 00:00:18,560 Everyone loves a good riddle. 8 00:00:18,560 --> 00:00:20,880 A riddle is a little hard to define, 9 00:00:20,880 --> 00:00:25,440 but we all know one when we see it - it’s typically a phrase or question that 10 00:00:25,440 --> 00:00:30,320 has some veiled or double meaning and which forces us to think really carefully 11 00:00:30,320 --> 00:00:32,080 about the answer. 12 00:00:32,080 --> 00:00:36,120 Riddles may seem like nothing more than child’s play (the last time you 13 00:00:36,120 --> 00:00:38,160 answered one may have been in childhood!), 14 00:00:38,160 --> 00:00:42,040 but riddles have a long and illustrious past. 15 00:00:42,040 --> 00:00:45,240 Riddles are a “universal art” found in all cultures, 16 00:00:45,240 --> 00:00:47,000 and have been studied by linguists, 17 00:00:47,000 --> 00:00:48,280 anthropologists, 18 00:00:48,280 --> 00:00:49,200 theologists, 19 00:00:49,200 --> 00:00:54,360 and more to understand how and why human beings use these peculiar tales, 20 00:00:54,360 --> 00:00:55,800 questions, 21 00:00:55,800 --> 00:00:57,520 or puzzles. 22 00:00:57,520 --> 00:00:59,120 Want some proof? 23 00:00:59,120 --> 00:01:02,080 Here is a riddle mentioned in Greek antiquity, 24 00:01:02,080 --> 00:01:02,640 in other words, 25 00:01:02,640 --> 00:01:08,880 over two thousand years ago - Ares sent the Sphinx from her Aethiopian homeland 26 00:01:08,880 --> 00:01:12,680 (the Greeks always remembered the foreign origin of the Sphinx) 27 00:01:12,680 --> 00:01:18,320 to Thebes in Greece where she asked all passersby the most famous riddle in 28 00:01:18,320 --> 00:01:23,720 history - "Which creature has one voice and yet becomes four-footed and 29 00:01:23,720 --> 00:01:26,760 two-footed and three-footed?" 30 00:01:26,760 --> 00:01:31,000 She strangled and devoured anyone who could not answer. 31 00:01:31,000 --> 00:01:35,960 Oedipus solved the riddle by answering - "Man—who crawls on all fours as a 32 00:01:35,960 --> 00:01:36,560 baby, 33 00:01:36,560 --> 00:01:39,160 then walks on two feet as an adult, 34 00:01:39,160 --> 00:01:42,640 and then uses a walking stick in old age." 35 00:01:42,640 --> 00:01:45,160 By some accounts (but much more rarely), 36 00:01:45,160 --> 00:01:50,160 there was a second riddle - "There are two sisters - one gives birth to the 37 00:01:50,160 --> 00:01:50,680 other, 38 00:01:50,680 --> 00:01:51,320 and she, 39 00:01:51,320 --> 00:01:52,280 in turn, 40 00:01:52,280 --> 00:01:54,040 gives birth to the first. 41 00:01:54,040 --> 00:01:56,240 Who are the two sisters?" 42 00:01:56,240 --> 00:01:58,120 The answer is "day and night." 43 00:01:58,120 --> 00:02:03,000 (Both words—ἡμέρα and νύξ, 44 00:02:03,000 --> 00:02:05,560 respectively—are feminine in Ancient Greek). 45 00:02:05,560 --> 00:02:09,200 Riddles seem to play with the flexible boundaries of language, 46 00:02:09,200 --> 00:02:13,800 showing us the intellectual conventions we didn’t even know we were using. 47 00:02:13,800 --> 00:02:18,040 Riddles lay bare our ordinary assumptions about the way the world works—and 48 00:02:18,040 --> 00:02:21,440 show us that things are not quite as they seem. 49 00:02:21,440 --> 00:02:23,400 They provide moments of surprise, 50 00:02:23,400 --> 00:02:24,200 shock, 51 00:02:24,200 --> 00:02:26,240 and even dumbfoundedness. 52 00:02:26,240 --> 00:02:29,880 They make us feel that we are not as bright as we would like to be, 53 00:02:29,880 --> 00:02:32,600 and that we are blind to the obvious. 54 00:02:32,600 --> 00:02:33,800 On hearing the answer, 55 00:02:33,800 --> 00:02:36,640 we get a flash of insight and understanding, 56 00:02:36,640 --> 00:02:41,720 a little joke for the mind that’s like the equivalent of an optical illusion 57 00:02:41,720 --> 00:02:46,520 or an object that seems to change color completely when tilted in the light. 58 00:02:46,520 --> 00:02:47,360 Over time, 59 00:02:47,360 --> 00:02:49,800 riddles became a way of relating to others, 60 00:02:49,800 --> 00:02:52,800 and even the basis for philosophical questions, 61 00:02:52,800 --> 00:02:54,000 thought experiments, 62 00:02:54,000 --> 00:02:57,760 and methods of understanding the world around us. 63 00:02:57,760 --> 00:03:00,200 Riddles are more than simple wordplay, 64 00:03:00,200 --> 00:03:01,840 as this book will demonstrate, 65 00:03:01,840 --> 00:03:05,880 and can be used as tools for a range of purposes. 66 00:03:05,880 --> 00:03:06,760 In this book, 67 00:03:06,760 --> 00:03:09,600 we’ll be exploring riddles for a few reasons, 68 00:03:09,600 --> 00:03:12,320 not least of which because they’re fun! 69 00:03:12,320 --> 00:03:16,840 Riddles can also be thought of as mini exercises for the conceptual mind, 70 00:03:16,840 --> 00:03:20,960 and a way to develop critical thinking and analytical skills, 71 00:03:20,960 --> 00:03:23,760 as well as strengthen the ability to think creatively. 72 00:03:23,760 --> 00:03:30,160 “Out of the box” thinking may feel random and spontaneous in the moment, 73 00:03:30,160 --> 00:03:31,760 but in the chapters that follow, 74 00:03:31,760 --> 00:03:35,960 we’ll see how there are actually predictable formulas and techniques that can 75 00:03:35,960 --> 00:03:40,840 help us solve problems at a higher level than we’re used to. 76 00:03:40,840 --> 00:03:44,200 Riddles are a brilliant way to practice and learn about these different ways of 77 00:03:44,200 --> 00:03:45,160 thinking, 78 00:03:45,160 --> 00:03:47,240 if we know how to use them. 79 00:03:47,240 --> 00:03:50,200 You can read all you want about different types of thinking—it’s an 80 00:03:50,200 --> 00:03:55,160 important piece of the puzzle—but if you never apply them in a significant 81 00:03:55,160 --> 00:03:55,400 way, 82 00:03:55,400 --> 00:03:57,480 then all that knowledge will be for naught. 83 00:03:57,480 --> 00:03:58,960 So first, 84 00:03:58,960 --> 00:04:03,520 let’s consider the mental tools we have at our disposal when approaching the 85 00:04:03,520 --> 00:04:05,800 task that is a riddle. 86 00:04:05,800 --> 00:04:06,440 In reality, 87 00:04:06,440 --> 00:04:11,480 this is about evaluating the problems and novel situations in our lives, 88 00:04:11,480 --> 00:04:16,120 and gaining better understanding and methods to navigate them effectively, 89 00:04:16,120 --> 00:04:17,000 quickly, 90 00:04:17,000 --> 00:04:18,320 and strategically. 91 00:04:18,320 --> 00:04:21,560 Thinking Modalities. 92 00:04:21,560 --> 00:04:27,680 People seldom think of thinking as something they need to practice, 93 00:04:27,680 --> 00:04:28,360 develop, 94 00:04:28,360 --> 00:04:29,560 or strengthen. 95 00:04:29,560 --> 00:04:32,520 It’s almost as though we assume this skill is a given, 96 00:04:32,520 --> 00:04:35,800 and something that will run more or less on its own. 97 00:04:35,800 --> 00:04:39,480 Most of us are more focused on developing skills and what could be called 98 00:04:39,480 --> 00:04:43,600 crystallized intelligence—essentially knowledge and information. 99 00:04:43,600 --> 00:04:47,720 But can we develop muscles in the body without exercise? 100 00:04:47,720 --> 00:04:52,400 Can we use any tool at all without first understanding how best to use that 101 00:04:52,400 --> 00:04:53,560 tool? 102 00:04:53,560 --> 00:04:56,160 What can we actually do with the tool by itself, 103 00:04:56,160 --> 00:04:59,880 and no type of instruction manual for best practices? 104 00:04:59,880 --> 00:05:02,720 This is how the vast majority navigate the world. 105 00:05:02,720 --> 00:05:05,000 But we can do better than that. 106 00:05:05,000 --> 00:05:10,120 Thinking is an aptitude that is more fluid than we think—and more prone to 107 00:05:10,120 --> 00:05:11,000 bias, 108 00:05:11,000 --> 00:05:12,280 misconception, 109 00:05:12,280 --> 00:05:13,280 lazy assumption, 110 00:05:13,280 --> 00:05:14,600 shortcuts, 111 00:05:14,600 --> 00:05:16,040 weak hypotheses, 112 00:05:16,040 --> 00:05:18,280 and plain old habit. 113 00:05:18,280 --> 00:05:20,640 Realizing that your brain can (and should) 114 00:05:20,640 --> 00:05:25,840 be used to its full potential is like suddenly discovering that all along 115 00:05:25,840 --> 00:05:29,360 you’ve been using a precious and sophisticated piece of technology as a 116 00:05:29,360 --> 00:05:29,920 doorstop. 117 00:05:29,920 --> 00:05:32,600 Our brains can do so much more, 118 00:05:32,600 --> 00:05:37,720 but we have to deliberately give ourselves the opportunity to consider how 119 00:05:37,720 --> 00:05:39,520 we’re thinking in the first place, 120 00:05:39,520 --> 00:05:43,040 and then dedicate the time to improving it. 121 00:05:43,040 --> 00:05:46,560 Let’s take a look at some of the tools that will be in our arsenal at the end 122 00:05:46,560 --> 00:05:48,880 of this book. 123 00:05:48,880 --> 00:05:52,240 Going Outside The Box. 124 00:05:52,240 --> 00:05:53,920 What do you know about creativity? 125 00:05:53,920 --> 00:05:58,040 Do you imagine that it’s something a bit like a flash of light from nowhere, 126 00:05:58,040 --> 00:06:01,560 something that only the rare gifted person has access to? 127 00:06:01,560 --> 00:06:06,120 Perhaps you think it’s a “left brain versus right brain” phenomena and 128 00:06:06,120 --> 00:06:11,120 that some people are just born better able to create and think up new ideas. 129 00:06:11,120 --> 00:06:17,640 We’ll abandon these conventional ideas for one reason - they’re limiting 130 00:06:17,640 --> 00:06:18,120 and limited. 131 00:06:18,120 --> 00:06:18,760 Instead, 132 00:06:18,760 --> 00:06:24,240 we’ll look at creativity with curiosity and try to understand what it is. 133 00:06:24,240 --> 00:06:29,840 What is a creative person actually doing when they bring something completely 134 00:06:29,840 --> 00:06:30,680 new into the world? 135 00:06:30,680 --> 00:06:34,400 In understanding the function and nature of creativity, 136 00:06:34,400 --> 00:06:38,480 we can then learn to practice it ourselves (more on this later, 137 00:06:38,480 --> 00:06:39,760 when we explore riddles). 138 00:06:39,760 --> 00:06:41,240 In time, 139 00:06:41,240 --> 00:06:44,680 we will be able to systematically become more creative. 140 00:06:44,680 --> 00:06:47,000 It sounds like an oxymoron, 141 00:06:47,000 --> 00:06:50,360 but most things in this world can be trained and cultivated, 142 00:06:50,360 --> 00:06:54,320 and very few things are dependent on raw talent and luck. 143 00:06:54,320 --> 00:07:00,080 Divergent thinking is the name given to the kind of intellectual activity that 144 00:07:00,080 --> 00:07:05,640 explores and expands on as many solutions or alternatives as possible. 145 00:07:05,640 --> 00:07:09,240 Quick—think of a simple iron nail. 146 00:07:09,240 --> 00:07:13,800 How many uses can you think of for a single iron nail? 147 00:07:13,800 --> 00:07:18,960 The activity that your brain engages in to do this is called divergent thinking. 148 00:07:18,960 --> 00:07:22,120 Being flexible and open, 149 00:07:22,120 --> 00:07:25,720 the idea is to “brainstorm” and open the field right up. 150 00:07:25,720 --> 00:07:27,520 This kind of thinking, 151 00:07:27,520 --> 00:07:28,280 crucially, 152 00:07:28,280 --> 00:07:31,640 needs to be removed from goal-oriented, 153 00:07:31,640 --> 00:07:36,000 convergent thinking—it works best when you suspend judgment (i.e. telling 154 00:07:36,000 --> 00:07:36,680 yourself, 155 00:07:36,680 --> 00:07:37,920 “that’s a stupid idea”) 156 00:07:37,920 --> 00:07:40,840 and simply let ideas flow as they will. 157 00:07:40,840 --> 00:07:43,440 This is the kind of opening-up, 158 00:07:43,440 --> 00:07:45,600 rather than narrowing-down, 159 00:07:45,600 --> 00:07:46,320 kind of thinking. 160 00:07:46,320 --> 00:07:49,480 The type of thinking to solve riddles is, 161 00:07:49,480 --> 00:07:50,240 you guessed it, 162 00:07:50,240 --> 00:07:52,000 almost purely divergent. 163 00:07:52,000 --> 00:07:56,200 When three of the most obvious descriptions of assumptions fail, 164 00:07:56,200 --> 00:07:57,480 where do you go from there? 165 00:07:57,480 --> 00:08:02,400 You must start to think outside your conventional boundaries and diverge. 166 00:08:02,400 --> 00:08:03,000 Without it, 167 00:08:03,000 --> 00:08:06,480 you will be running your head into the same wall repeatedly. 168 00:08:06,480 --> 00:08:11,280 Lateral thinking is also a term you may be familiar with. 169 00:08:11,280 --> 00:08:15,760 In contrast to “vertical thinking,” which is step by step and rather 170 00:08:15,760 --> 00:08:16,320 predictable, 171 00:08:16,320 --> 00:08:19,560 lateral thinking seems to take a step to the side, 172 00:08:19,560 --> 00:08:20,720 into a new dimension. 173 00:08:20,720 --> 00:08:24,800 It makes you ask how you get from Point A to Point B, 174 00:08:24,800 --> 00:08:28,080 and attempts to detach from the current scenario. 175 00:08:28,080 --> 00:08:33,960 Lateral thinking is the act of mentally manipulating factors and situations. 176 00:08:33,960 --> 00:08:38,840 We’ll see plenty of examples of lateral thinking in the riddles that follow 177 00:08:38,840 --> 00:08:39,480 later in the book, 178 00:08:39,480 --> 00:08:44,640 and it’s this kind of thinking that is best for problem solving or generating 179 00:08:44,640 --> 00:08:46,040 truly novel ideas. 180 00:08:46,040 --> 00:08:49,920 Imagine a classic maze printed on a piece of paper, 181 00:08:49,920 --> 00:08:54,560 with an IN and an OUT. You’re given a pencil and told to solve it. 182 00:08:54,560 --> 00:08:58,320 You might go about drawing a line from IN to OUT, 183 00:08:58,320 --> 00:09:01,040 winding along the paths of the maze. 184 00:09:01,040 --> 00:09:01,760 Or, 185 00:09:01,760 --> 00:09:03,560 if you were thinking laterally, 186 00:09:03,560 --> 00:09:07,280 you might simply draw a long line outside the maze, 187 00:09:07,280 --> 00:09:11,440 bypassing the entire thing—you’ve still solved the puzzle, 188 00:09:11,440 --> 00:09:13,840 only not on its own terms. 189 00:09:13,840 --> 00:09:15,440 In doing so, 190 00:09:15,440 --> 00:09:19,000 you’ve found the solution at a different level of thinking than the problem 191 00:09:19,000 --> 00:09:19,720 was created. 192 00:09:19,720 --> 00:09:21,760 Going even further, 193 00:09:21,760 --> 00:09:26,360 you could solve the problem in an even more outlandish way - by curling the 194 00:09:26,360 --> 00:09:27,480 paper in on itself, 195 00:09:27,480 --> 00:09:31,560 you can bring the IN to the OUT in three dimensional space, 196 00:09:31,560 --> 00:09:35,040 allowing your pencil to make the tiny jump from one to the other. 197 00:09:35,040 --> 00:09:37,400 You’ve solved the problem again, 198 00:09:37,400 --> 00:09:42,920 by now completely breaking the rules of both previous solutions (you might then 199 00:09:42,920 --> 00:09:45,160 pull a Matrix-style trick and claim, 200 00:09:45,160 --> 00:09:46,840 as your final solution, 201 00:09:46,840 --> 00:09:48,320 that “there is no paper”). 202 00:09:48,320 --> 00:09:54,240 The point of this thought exercise is to expand your mind and imagine “what 203 00:09:54,240 --> 00:09:55,800 if” rules didn’t exist. 204 00:09:55,800 --> 00:10:01,960 Systems thinking is similar in that it is the ability to see and comprehend the 205 00:10:01,960 --> 00:10:06,080 “bigger picture”—as well as how all its components fit inside it. 206 00:10:06,080 --> 00:10:11,720 Understanding large-scale interrelations is sometimes enough to solve a problem 207 00:10:11,720 --> 00:10:12,320 creatively. 208 00:10:12,320 --> 00:10:14,520 Connecting the dots, 209 00:10:14,520 --> 00:10:16,560 synthesizing separate ideas, 210 00:10:16,560 --> 00:10:17,760 seeing the whole, 211 00:10:17,760 --> 00:10:22,160 and perceiving relationships and connections are invaluable for those problems 212 00:10:22,160 --> 00:10:26,000 in life that are “greater than the sum of their parts”—i.e., 213 00:10:26,000 --> 00:10:26,720 most of them! 214 00:10:26,720 --> 00:10:28,280 As an example, 215 00:10:28,280 --> 00:10:33,040 you may be dealing with a difficult person and unsure how to get them to see 216 00:10:33,040 --> 00:10:33,680 your point of view. 217 00:10:33,680 --> 00:10:34,880 But really, 218 00:10:34,880 --> 00:10:37,920 you can fix things by seeing their point of view. 219 00:10:37,920 --> 00:10:40,760 When you understand who their boss is, 220 00:10:40,760 --> 00:10:43,320 what their objectives and motivations are, 221 00:10:43,320 --> 00:10:46,520 and all the complex links that connect you to them, 222 00:10:46,520 --> 00:10:50,760 you can better understand their position—to your benefit. 223 00:10:50,760 --> 00:10:52,640 By zooming out, 224 00:10:52,640 --> 00:10:55,920 you add context and dimension to the situation, 225 00:10:55,920 --> 00:10:57,200 and act accordingly. 226 00:10:57,200 --> 00:11:01,760 Many of us have the problem of getting caught in the weeds—for another 227 00:11:01,760 --> 00:11:02,160 analogy, 228 00:11:02,160 --> 00:11:05,120 not being able to see the forest through the trees. 229 00:11:05,120 --> 00:11:09,880 Systems thinking implores you to see the clues and hints that inevitability 230 00:11:09,880 --> 00:11:11,400 exist in every situation, 231 00:11:11,400 --> 00:11:14,200 and expand on what they could mean for you. 232 00:11:14,200 --> 00:11:18,000 It may not appear to be a type of creative thinking at first glance, 233 00:11:18,000 --> 00:11:21,240 but if it’s something that forces a different perspective, 234 00:11:21,240 --> 00:11:21,840 it counts! 235 00:11:21,840 --> 00:11:23,240 Finally, 236 00:11:23,240 --> 00:11:26,520 inspirational thinking is also a kind of creative thinking, 237 00:11:26,520 --> 00:11:32,040 and can be best described as receiving insight or inspiration from somewhere 238 00:11:32,040 --> 00:11:33,040 else entirely. 239 00:11:33,040 --> 00:11:36,200 Take an entirely different activity, 240 00:11:36,200 --> 00:11:37,280 mindset, 241 00:11:37,280 --> 00:11:38,320 discipline, 242 00:11:38,320 --> 00:11:39,320 or field, 243 00:11:39,320 --> 00:11:42,520 and force-apply this to your current situation. 244 00:11:42,520 --> 00:11:43,840 For instance, 245 00:11:43,840 --> 00:11:47,800 generating ideas that must start with each letter of the alphabet. 246 00:11:47,800 --> 00:11:49,960 This gives you twenty-six ideas, 247 00:11:49,960 --> 00:11:52,840 as well as fitting an intentional constraint. 248 00:11:52,840 --> 00:11:59,080 This results in a sudden explosion of understanding or a peak experience—a 249 00:11:59,080 --> 00:12:00,840 lightbulb switching on in your head. 250 00:12:00,840 --> 00:12:06,560 It can seem like this flash of creative insight is unpredictable (a freebie 251 00:12:06,560 --> 00:12:07,800 from the mythical muses?), 252 00:12:07,800 --> 00:12:13,240 but people who have these insights often lay extensive groundwork and actively 253 00:12:13,240 --> 00:12:15,680 court those insights one way or another. 254 00:12:15,680 --> 00:12:17,600 Salvador Dali, 255 00:12:17,600 --> 00:12:18,240 for example, 256 00:12:18,240 --> 00:12:23,200 was known to drift off to sleep with a spoon deliberately held loosely in his 257 00:12:23,200 --> 00:12:23,320 hand, 258 00:12:23,320 --> 00:12:24,920 balanced above a china plate. 259 00:12:24,920 --> 00:12:26,680 As he began to dream, 260 00:12:26,680 --> 00:12:29,280 his grip would loosen and he’d drop the spoon; 261 00:12:29,280 --> 00:12:32,480 the clattering on the plate would wake him up instantly. 262 00:12:32,480 --> 00:12:37,240 He’d then reach for his notepad nearby and scribble down all the images that 263 00:12:37,240 --> 00:12:39,120 had come to his half-awake mind. 264 00:12:39,120 --> 00:12:42,720 He called this chasing hypnagogic sleep, 265 00:12:42,720 --> 00:12:47,440 as he wanted to play in the area of consciousness between waking and sleep. 266 00:12:47,440 --> 00:12:49,720 In a similar way, 267 00:12:49,720 --> 00:12:54,360 August Kekule is reported to have had a dream about a snake biting its own 268 00:12:54,360 --> 00:12:54,720 tail, 269 00:12:54,720 --> 00:12:56,040 and in a flash, 270 00:12:56,040 --> 00:13:01,520 understood the ring-like structure of the benzene molecule—a puzzle that had 271 00:13:01,520 --> 00:13:02,800 filled his waking hours. 272 00:13:02,800 --> 00:13:07,560 Others receive this inspiration from altered states of consciousness (like 273 00:13:07,560 --> 00:13:08,040 dreams), 274 00:13:08,040 --> 00:13:09,640 mystical experiences, 275 00:13:09,640 --> 00:13:14,160 or even profound moments during meditation or time spent in nature. 276 00:13:14,160 --> 00:13:20,200 We can access this state by simply stepping away from the problem at times and 277 00:13:20,200 --> 00:13:23,080 letting our unconscious mind do the work for us. 278 00:13:23,080 --> 00:13:26,280 The more varied and different your experiences are, 279 00:13:26,280 --> 00:13:30,120 the more mental models you can try on for size and apply to different 280 00:13:30,120 --> 00:13:30,760 situations. 281 00:13:30,760 --> 00:13:34,720 Mastering Critical Thinking. 282 00:13:34,720 --> 00:13:41,320 Creativity and divergent thinking can be thought of as simultaneously subtypes 283 00:13:41,320 --> 00:13:42,760 and examples of one another, 284 00:13:42,760 --> 00:13:45,200 wherein the mind goes from a small, 285 00:13:45,200 --> 00:13:45,680 narrow, 286 00:13:45,680 --> 00:13:47,960 or limited perspective and opens up. 287 00:13:47,960 --> 00:13:53,200 This requires different types of frameworks to not be stuck in a box of our own 288 00:13:53,200 --> 00:13:53,720 creation. 289 00:13:53,720 --> 00:13:55,720 Convergent thinking, 290 00:13:55,720 --> 00:13:56,360 on the other hand, 291 00:13:56,360 --> 00:14:01,640 goes the other direction and takes many strains of thought and ideas and boils 292 00:14:01,640 --> 00:14:04,640 them down to a narrower conclusion or solution. 293 00:14:04,640 --> 00:14:09,320 It’s finding a way inside the given rules rather than breaking them or 294 00:14:09,320 --> 00:14:12,120 seeking new rules and outside solutions. 295 00:14:12,120 --> 00:14:16,480 Insight comes from digging deeper rather than looking elsewhere. 296 00:14:16,480 --> 00:14:21,720 This is a process of further understanding a narrower set of information and 297 00:14:21,720 --> 00:14:25,480 then attempting to draw conclusions from it via analysis and insight. 298 00:14:25,480 --> 00:14:27,880 These are both ways of problem solving, 299 00:14:27,880 --> 00:14:31,120 which is the true skill that riddles help us cultivate. 300 00:14:31,120 --> 00:14:33,880 Whether you go broader or more specific, 301 00:14:33,880 --> 00:14:37,600 it’s clear that our mental status quo can’t quite cut it. 302 00:14:37,600 --> 00:14:42,200 The first thing to remember is that critical (step by step) 303 00:14:42,200 --> 00:14:45,480 thinking is not really all that separate from non-linear, 304 00:14:45,480 --> 00:14:46,680 insightful, 305 00:14:46,680 --> 00:14:47,680 or creative thinking. 306 00:14:47,680 --> 00:14:48,560 In fact, 307 00:14:48,560 --> 00:14:50,160 the two often go hand in hand, 308 00:14:50,160 --> 00:14:52,800 solving one another’s unfinished business. 309 00:14:52,800 --> 00:14:55,880 In developing all aspects of cognition, 310 00:14:55,880 --> 00:15:00,680 we equip ourselves with more tools to use on any problem or situation we’re 311 00:15:00,680 --> 00:15:01,160 faced with. 312 00:15:01,160 --> 00:15:05,360 We can expand in one moment (gathering data, 313 00:15:05,360 --> 00:15:06,760 exploring arguments, 314 00:15:06,760 --> 00:15:09,040 and taking in the general logic of a problem) 315 00:15:09,040 --> 00:15:13,680 before narrowing down again (drawing conclusions and fashioning a single 316 00:15:13,680 --> 00:15:14,200 solution). 317 00:15:14,200 --> 00:15:15,760 Either way, 318 00:15:15,760 --> 00:15:19,160 we are challenging ourselves and using different perspectives. 319 00:15:19,160 --> 00:15:23,120 No style of thinking is better than the other—rather, 320 00:15:23,120 --> 00:15:27,240 it’s knowing which is most appropriate to use in each situation. 321 00:15:27,240 --> 00:15:28,360 Questions like, 322 00:15:28,360 --> 00:15:32,440 “What is the atomic weight of magnesium?” require a different kind of 323 00:15:32,440 --> 00:15:34,920 thinking than do more open-ended questions like, 324 00:15:34,920 --> 00:15:38,520 “How are we going to get our sales team to cooperate more in the office?" 325 00:15:38,520 --> 00:15:40,560 For some problems, 326 00:15:40,560 --> 00:15:43,480 you need as many answers as possible (or, 327 00:15:43,480 --> 00:15:44,960 there is no “right” answer), 328 00:15:44,960 --> 00:15:45,880 but for others, 329 00:15:45,880 --> 00:15:49,600 you really want to hone in on the single best solution. 330 00:15:49,600 --> 00:15:53,040 Riddles force you to alternate between them. 331 00:15:53,040 --> 00:15:59,240 Critical thinking is broadly convergent instead of divergent—it seeks to 332 00:15:59,240 --> 00:15:59,920 whittle down, 333 00:15:59,920 --> 00:16:01,360 to find logical coherence, 334 00:16:01,360 --> 00:16:06,080 and to unpick the components of a problem in the same way you’d take apart an 335 00:16:06,080 --> 00:16:06,640 appliance. 336 00:16:06,640 --> 00:16:10,240 Though creativity is a kind of intelligence, 337 00:16:10,240 --> 00:16:14,440 and intelligent people are invariably deeply creative thinkers, 338 00:16:14,440 --> 00:16:19,400 it is critical thinking that’s most often regarded as thinking in general. 339 00:16:19,400 --> 00:16:24,080 People who wish to bolster their intelligence often train their analytical 340 00:16:24,080 --> 00:16:24,680 skills. 341 00:16:24,680 --> 00:16:27,560 We can ask the same question here as we did above. 342 00:16:27,560 --> 00:16:32,400 What are people actually doing when they think intelligently and logically 343 00:16:32,400 --> 00:16:33,240 about a problem? 344 00:16:33,240 --> 00:16:37,520 The first step is usually identification. 345 00:16:37,520 --> 00:16:41,360 Actually seeing and acknowledging what the problem is, 346 00:16:41,360 --> 00:16:43,040 diagnosing the issue, 347 00:16:43,040 --> 00:16:45,880 and finding all the aspects influencing it. 348 00:16:45,880 --> 00:16:50,400 You can never provide adequate solutions if you don’t understand the problem 349 00:16:50,400 --> 00:16:51,040 sufficiently. 350 00:16:51,040 --> 00:16:52,960 During this stage, 351 00:16:52,960 --> 00:16:54,520 you might ask questions like, 352 00:16:54,520 --> 00:16:56,760 what am I really looking at here? 353 00:16:56,760 --> 00:16:58,920 What’s the question/problem? 354 00:16:58,920 --> 00:17:01,080 Who are the actors and what are they doing? 355 00:17:01,080 --> 00:17:01,920 And why? 356 00:17:01,920 --> 00:17:05,160 Can I identify cause and effect relationships here? 357 00:17:05,160 --> 00:17:07,600 What am I trying to achieve, 358 00:17:07,600 --> 00:17:09,720 and what information am I missing? 359 00:17:09,720 --> 00:17:10,760 And so on. 360 00:17:10,760 --> 00:17:14,640 The next step entails a little research. 361 00:17:14,640 --> 00:17:18,640 Once you’ve broadly identified the field in which your problem is taking 362 00:17:18,640 --> 00:17:19,000 place, 363 00:17:19,000 --> 00:17:21,760 you can begin to explore various options, 364 00:17:21,760 --> 00:17:22,840 arguments, 365 00:17:22,840 --> 00:17:24,440 or possible solutions. 366 00:17:24,440 --> 00:17:28,160 Look at information and consider its quality. 367 00:17:28,160 --> 00:17:33,640 Verify your sources and independently look at arguments to see how persuasive 368 00:17:33,640 --> 00:17:34,000 they are, 369 00:17:34,000 --> 00:17:36,200 and how they’re making that argument. 370 00:17:36,200 --> 00:17:41,000 Evaluate different possibilities with an eye to a solution. 371 00:17:41,000 --> 00:17:46,040 These research skills are invaluable in making sure that you’re not using 372 00:17:46,040 --> 00:17:49,480 faulty assumptions or bad data to come to your conclusions. 373 00:17:49,480 --> 00:17:53,480 A great critical thinking skill is to routinely ask, 374 00:17:53,480 --> 00:17:56,840 “What do I think and why do I think this?" 375 00:17:56,840 --> 00:17:58,400 What’s the evidence? 376 00:17:58,400 --> 00:18:03,760 You could also deliberately search for the opposing argument to counter your 377 00:18:03,760 --> 00:18:05,240 own unconscious bias. 378 00:18:05,240 --> 00:18:10,040 Rather than merely look for data that supports your already-held conclusions, 379 00:18:10,040 --> 00:18:12,880 it can help to ask yourself what you are not seeing! 380 00:18:12,880 --> 00:18:16,000 This is a step that most people don’t make it to, 381 00:18:16,000 --> 00:18:17,800 so if you’re getting to this stage, 382 00:18:17,800 --> 00:18:20,760 you’re already significantly ahead of the pack. 383 00:18:20,760 --> 00:18:25,920 This leads naturally to the next step (although all these functions typically 384 00:18:25,920 --> 00:18:26,560 overlap) 385 00:18:26,560 --> 00:18:28,760 - “identifying bias." 386 00:18:28,760 --> 00:18:33,360 This requires something we don’t often acknowledge when we think of 387 00:18:33,360 --> 00:18:35,800 intelligence—the ability to be discerning. 388 00:18:35,800 --> 00:18:41,600 Information needs to be appraised as neutrally and objectively as possible. 389 00:18:41,600 --> 00:18:43,840 To do this requires humility, 390 00:18:43,840 --> 00:18:44,840 honesty, 391 00:18:44,840 --> 00:18:49,640 and a lot of maturity—plus a little creative thinking to look into your own 392 00:18:49,640 --> 00:18:50,400 blind spots! 393 00:18:50,400 --> 00:18:53,400 Debate with yourself. 394 00:18:53,400 --> 00:18:55,120 Find the flaws, 395 00:18:55,120 --> 00:18:55,960 weak points, 396 00:18:55,960 --> 00:18:57,920 and assumptions in how you’re thinking. 397 00:18:57,920 --> 00:19:03,080 Actively take an opposing view to understand your own flaws and potential weak 398 00:19:03,080 --> 00:19:03,560 points. 399 00:19:03,560 --> 00:19:08,200 Challenge yourself to find evidence for your beliefs and assumptions—and be 400 00:19:08,200 --> 00:19:11,360 ready to abandon those that are genuinely incorrect. 401 00:19:11,360 --> 00:19:14,920 This is the only way learning can ever happen! 402 00:19:14,920 --> 00:19:18,160 The worst thing you can do is assume that you are correct, 403 00:19:18,160 --> 00:19:22,160 and that there are elements of your thinking that are infallible and not worthy 404 00:19:22,160 --> 00:19:22,640 of testing. 405 00:19:22,640 --> 00:19:28,280 This aspect of critical thinking is perhaps more important than any raw, 406 00:19:28,280 --> 00:19:32,400 intellectual power—because even the best arguments and most useful 407 00:19:32,400 --> 00:19:35,720 information will be ignored if too much ego is involved, 408 00:19:35,720 --> 00:19:39,640 or if someone has simply failed to consider all the facts at hand. 409 00:19:39,640 --> 00:19:42,880 Our world is overflowing with information, 410 00:19:42,880 --> 00:19:44,840 but not all of it is high quality. 411 00:19:44,840 --> 00:19:45,720 Yes, 412 00:19:45,720 --> 00:19:47,760 that even includes some of yours. 413 00:19:47,760 --> 00:19:51,360 If you find yourself resisting a question or assertion, 414 00:19:51,360 --> 00:19:56,360 take a second to pause and ask yourself if you are truly dedicated to finding 415 00:19:56,360 --> 00:19:57,240 the truth of the matter, 416 00:19:57,240 --> 00:20:01,200 or simply defending something else (like your ego). 417 00:20:01,200 --> 00:20:06,080 We need to consistently ask who is presenting the information, 418 00:20:06,080 --> 00:20:10,520 and why (what is their agenda and how do they benefit from these claims?). 419 00:20:10,520 --> 00:20:12,120 Is it logical, 420 00:20:12,120 --> 00:20:13,280 relevant, 421 00:20:13,280 --> 00:20:14,440 incomplete, 422 00:20:14,440 --> 00:20:15,640 up to date? 423 00:20:15,640 --> 00:20:20,000 This may not seem immediately applicable when it comes to riddles, 424 00:20:20,000 --> 00:20:24,840 but many riddles do in fact trick us when we fail to properly appraise the 425 00:20:24,840 --> 00:20:25,240 problem, 426 00:20:25,240 --> 00:20:29,600 or fully consider the nature and quality of the information presented to us. 427 00:20:29,600 --> 00:20:34,360 Inference or the closely related deduction, 428 00:20:34,360 --> 00:20:38,440 is the act of arriving at a conclusion given the information, 429 00:20:38,440 --> 00:20:39,320 or premises, 430 00:20:39,320 --> 00:20:39,840 in front of you. 431 00:20:39,840 --> 00:20:44,640 This is a process of extrapolation—guessing at some unknown piece of 432 00:20:44,640 --> 00:20:47,720 information based on known pieces of information. 433 00:20:47,720 --> 00:20:49,120 For example, 434 00:20:49,120 --> 00:20:52,320 if you discovered that someone hadn’t worked for twenty years, 435 00:20:52,320 --> 00:20:57,560 you may infer that their unemployment was unfortunate and maybe due to some 436 00:20:57,560 --> 00:20:59,480 sort of disability (in this example, 437 00:20:59,480 --> 00:21:04,320 you can see that inferences can be incorrect—the person may well be 438 00:21:04,320 --> 00:21:05,400 independently wealthy, 439 00:21:05,400 --> 00:21:08,680 or someone like a monk or nun who doesn’t work at all). 440 00:21:08,680 --> 00:21:12,040 An inference is an educated guess, 441 00:21:12,040 --> 00:21:16,760 but it’s still just a guess and is only as good as the premises it’s based 442 00:21:16,760 --> 00:21:16,960 on. 443 00:21:16,960 --> 00:21:18,920 More specifically, 444 00:21:18,920 --> 00:21:22,000 a deduction (in the classic philosophical sense, 445 00:21:22,000 --> 00:21:22,640 at least) 446 00:21:22,640 --> 00:21:26,440 is used when there is no possibility of the conclusion being wrong, 447 00:21:26,440 --> 00:21:27,880 given the premises. 448 00:21:27,880 --> 00:21:29,040 For example, 449 00:21:29,040 --> 00:21:34,280 I can have the following - “All students scoring below fifty percent fail the 450 00:21:34,280 --> 00:21:35,840 test,” as well as, 451 00:21:35,840 --> 00:21:38,880 “This student has obtained forty-two percent." 452 00:21:38,880 --> 00:21:40,520 Using deduction, 453 00:21:40,520 --> 00:21:42,200 I can make the conclusion, 454 00:21:42,200 --> 00:21:44,520 “This student has failed the test." 455 00:21:44,520 --> 00:21:48,760 I have moved from a general principle to a special case. 456 00:21:48,760 --> 00:21:54,080 Deduction of this kind is rarer in real life than general inference—but 457 00:21:54,080 --> 00:21:58,080 sometimes mistakes can be avoided by simply knowing which one you’re actually 458 00:21:58,080 --> 00:21:58,640 dealing with! 459 00:21:58,640 --> 00:22:00,280 Induction, 460 00:22:00,280 --> 00:22:01,200 the opposite, 461 00:22:01,200 --> 00:22:06,560 is more informal logic and moves from a specific case to a general principle. 462 00:22:06,560 --> 00:22:07,920 For example, 463 00:22:07,920 --> 00:22:11,480 “The sun rose yesterday and it rose today as well. 464 00:22:11,480 --> 00:22:13,720 It will probably rise tomorrow, 465 00:22:13,720 --> 00:22:14,040 too." 466 00:22:14,040 --> 00:22:17,320 To improve inferential thinking, 467 00:22:17,320 --> 00:22:20,800 you need only improve the quality of the information you’re basing your 468 00:22:20,800 --> 00:22:21,680 conclusions on. 469 00:22:21,680 --> 00:22:27,160 Many of the riddles we’ll look at are deliberate tricks in that they withhold 470 00:22:27,160 --> 00:22:31,240 a crucial piece of information that’s needed to come to the right conclusion. 471 00:22:31,240 --> 00:22:35,400 Clues are always useful in critical thinking—but always remember that 472 00:22:35,400 --> 00:22:36,840 they’re just that, 473 00:22:36,840 --> 00:22:37,880 clues. 474 00:22:37,880 --> 00:22:43,400 Another aspect of critical thinking is determining relevance. 475 00:22:43,400 --> 00:22:48,320 All the above steps assume that you’re only considering information that is 476 00:22:48,320 --> 00:22:50,440 actually pertinent to the situation at hand. 477 00:22:50,440 --> 00:22:53,080 This in itself requires some skill. 478 00:22:53,080 --> 00:22:55,520 How do you know when to stop looking, 479 00:22:55,520 --> 00:22:59,080 or whether a piece of data is worth including in your analysis? 480 00:22:59,080 --> 00:23:02,800 You don’t want to get sidetracked with totally irrelevant data, 481 00:23:02,800 --> 00:23:05,880 but you also don’t want to miss out on crucial information. 482 00:23:05,880 --> 00:23:10,840 The best approach is to have a goal in mind and constantly measure new 483 00:23:10,840 --> 00:23:14,040 information against this goal—with many goals, 484 00:23:14,040 --> 00:23:16,680 you might need to rank them in order of importance. 485 00:23:16,680 --> 00:23:19,720 When you find yourself encountering repeated data, 486 00:23:19,720 --> 00:23:22,600 it’s a sign you’ve thoroughly explored the space, 487 00:23:22,600 --> 00:23:27,120 but you may have to be satisfied with enough information to merely allow you to 488 00:23:27,120 --> 00:23:28,320 identify trends. 489 00:23:28,320 --> 00:23:30,000 Like biases, 490 00:23:30,000 --> 00:23:34,840 information should constantly be checked for its value in the bigger 491 00:23:34,840 --> 00:23:40,240 picture—can you omit a dozen weak ideas in favor of a single better and more 492 00:23:40,240 --> 00:23:41,360 representative one? 493 00:23:41,360 --> 00:23:43,760 Finally, 494 00:23:43,760 --> 00:23:48,240 curiosity is a vital but sometimes overlooked part of critical thinking. 495 00:23:48,240 --> 00:23:49,520 The truth is, 496 00:23:49,520 --> 00:23:54,280 information seldom comes to find us and present itself perfectly formed! 497 00:23:54,280 --> 00:23:54,880 Rather, 498 00:23:54,880 --> 00:23:58,440 it is us who has to go and seek it out deliberately, 499 00:23:58,440 --> 00:23:59,680 sometimes asking, 500 00:23:59,680 --> 00:24:03,280 “Why?” many times over to get to the crux of an issue. 501 00:24:03,280 --> 00:24:07,960 It’s easy to lose the curiosity habit and take things at face value, 502 00:24:07,960 --> 00:24:12,280 but sometimes the best critical thinking is done when people are not satisfied 503 00:24:12,280 --> 00:24:13,480 with the standard answer. 504 00:24:13,480 --> 00:24:18,440 Critical thinking is solutions-oriented and convergent, 505 00:24:18,440 --> 00:24:21,440 but that doesn’t mean you can’t regularly ask yourself, 506 00:24:21,440 --> 00:24:26,000 “Is this all there is?” and go poking around until something catches your 507 00:24:26,000 --> 00:24:26,360 interest. 508 00:24:26,360 --> 00:24:29,920 Keep things open-ended—at the end of every solution, 509 00:24:29,920 --> 00:24:33,280 you often find three more interesting problems! 510 00:24:33,280 --> 00:24:36,920 Putting It All Together. 511 00:24:36,920 --> 00:24:42,040 Having outlined a general vocabulary for the different kinds of thinking, 512 00:24:42,040 --> 00:24:42,320 however, 513 00:24:42,320 --> 00:24:47,080 isn’t quite the same as knowing how and when to use these different cognitive 514 00:24:47,080 --> 00:24:48,600 “modes” or techniques. 515 00:24:48,600 --> 00:24:50,600 When you are out there in the real world, 516 00:24:50,600 --> 00:24:53,120 solving real problems as they emerge, 517 00:24:53,120 --> 00:24:55,760 you will use a blend of all the above. 518 00:24:55,760 --> 00:24:57,680 To become a better thinker, 519 00:24:57,680 --> 00:24:57,920 then, 520 00:24:57,920 --> 00:25:01,520 takes not only familiarity with the nuts and bolts of thinking, 521 00:25:01,520 --> 00:25:06,840 but practical awareness of how to use those skills synergistically in the 522 00:25:06,840 --> 00:25:07,800 moment. 523 00:25:07,800 --> 00:25:12,800 This is something that author Warren Berger thought about a lot, 524 00:25:12,800 --> 00:25:17,280 and is behind the method he outlines in his book A More Beautiful Question. 525 00:25:17,280 --> 00:25:22,280 His idea is that the quality and breadth of our knowledge about the world comes 526 00:25:22,280 --> 00:25:26,760 down in large part to the quality and depth of the questions we pose to it. 527 00:25:26,760 --> 00:25:31,720 By learning to ask better questions (in a more formal and deliberate process), 528 00:25:31,720 --> 00:25:35,480 we give ourselves deeper access to knowledge and insight. 529 00:25:35,480 --> 00:25:40,600 Good questions are the fundamental basis of the scientific method in general. 530 00:25:40,600 --> 00:25:42,520 By doing science, 531 00:25:42,520 --> 00:25:43,640 we ask, 532 00:25:43,640 --> 00:25:45,840 in many complex and varied ways, 533 00:25:45,840 --> 00:25:47,160 “If I do this, 534 00:25:47,160 --> 00:25:48,000 what happens?" 535 00:25:48,000 --> 00:25:52,000 Berge’s model suggests three steps or stages, 536 00:25:52,000 --> 00:25:56,440 and is useful because it combines many of the skills we’ve explored in the 537 00:25:56,440 --> 00:25:57,200 previous section. 538 00:25:57,200 --> 00:26:00,480 To ask truly innovative questions, 539 00:26:00,480 --> 00:26:02,880 we should structure them as - Why, 540 00:26:02,880 --> 00:26:04,040 What If, 541 00:26:04,040 --> 00:26:04,960 and How. 542 00:26:04,960 --> 00:26:07,480 Each requires a different mindset, 543 00:26:07,480 --> 00:26:10,560 but all three work together for maximum effectiveness. 544 00:26:10,560 --> 00:26:13,840 The three questions give us time to switch tools, 545 00:26:13,840 --> 00:26:15,800 try on different thinking modes, 546 00:26:15,800 --> 00:26:20,360 and give ourselves a better chance at arriving at a comprehensive and 547 00:26:20,360 --> 00:26:21,600 intelligent solution. 548 00:26:21,600 --> 00:26:27,200 Let’s begin where all interesting things begin—with Why? 549 00:26:27,200 --> 00:26:30,560 This plunges us into the world of understanding. 550 00:26:30,560 --> 00:26:32,920 Why is the situation as it is? 551 00:26:32,920 --> 00:26:35,800 Why this way and not some other way? 552 00:26:35,800 --> 00:26:41,160 You can even ask why the question or problem has been formulated in the way it 553 00:26:41,160 --> 00:26:41,480 has, 554 00:26:41,480 --> 00:26:44,040 or why we are asking the question in the first place. 555 00:26:44,040 --> 00:26:48,680 Every problem-solving attempt must start from the beginning. 556 00:26:48,680 --> 00:26:54,080 You need to understand why things are as they are if you have a hope of 557 00:26:54,080 --> 00:26:55,520 changing them into something else! 558 00:26:55,520 --> 00:27:00,600 Asking why also gives you permission to see if things are in fact wrong or 559 00:27:00,600 --> 00:27:02,040 could be improved on. 560 00:27:02,040 --> 00:27:06,400 You open the door for something else (hello again, 561 00:27:06,400 --> 00:27:07,200 creative thinking!). 562 00:27:07,200 --> 00:27:13,040 We don’t need to be rebels or contrarians to constantly ask why of the world. 563 00:27:13,040 --> 00:27:18,320 Merely adopting a curious stance in the face of the ordinary and expected shows 564 00:27:18,320 --> 00:27:21,640 our willingness to engage and understand at a deeper level. 565 00:27:21,640 --> 00:27:26,160 By asking why we peek under the hood and examine our assumptions, 566 00:27:26,160 --> 00:27:26,680 beliefs, 567 00:27:26,680 --> 00:27:27,680 shortcuts, 568 00:27:27,680 --> 00:27:29,280 unspoken desires, 569 00:27:29,280 --> 00:27:30,280 and blind spots. 570 00:27:30,280 --> 00:27:31,400 For example, 571 00:27:31,400 --> 00:27:33,760 the sales team is experiencing friction, 572 00:27:33,760 --> 00:27:37,680 and bad office politics is beginning to undermine productivity. 573 00:27:37,680 --> 00:27:42,560 You could ask - Why exactly is everyone unhappy? 574 00:27:42,560 --> 00:27:46,680 Why is this now suddenly a problem but wasn’t a month ago? 575 00:27:46,680 --> 00:27:50,400 Why have previous attempts to fix the problem failed? 576 00:27:50,400 --> 00:27:53,800 Why do we have the sales team all in one office anyway? 577 00:27:53,800 --> 00:27:59,880 By using “why,” we shine a light on all the cause-and-effect relationships 578 00:27:59,880 --> 00:28:02,040 in every nook and cranny of the problem. 579 00:28:02,040 --> 00:28:04,160 We use identification, 580 00:28:04,160 --> 00:28:05,360 curiosity, 581 00:28:05,360 --> 00:28:06,360 inference, 582 00:28:06,360 --> 00:28:07,240 research, 583 00:28:07,240 --> 00:28:10,280 and curiosity to feel the problem out. 584 00:28:10,280 --> 00:28:15,160 This will come especially handy when trying to solve riddles that are carefully 585 00:28:15,160 --> 00:28:16,880 worded and presented. 586 00:28:16,880 --> 00:28:17,920 But in truth, 587 00:28:17,920 --> 00:28:20,520 this same process occurs in everyday life. 588 00:28:20,520 --> 00:28:22,320 Next, 589 00:28:22,320 --> 00:28:24,000 we open up further and ask, 590 00:28:24,000 --> 00:28:25,280 What if? 591 00:28:25,280 --> 00:28:27,880 Now we open to solutions, 592 00:28:27,880 --> 00:28:30,240 i.e. different ways of doing things. 593 00:28:30,240 --> 00:28:30,960 Here, 594 00:28:30,960 --> 00:28:33,480 we go down a new path of inquiry, 595 00:28:33,480 --> 00:28:36,120 or create a different aspect to explore. 596 00:28:36,120 --> 00:28:39,400 Can we combine old ideas in new ways? 597 00:28:39,400 --> 00:28:41,240 Can we switch perspective? 598 00:28:41,240 --> 00:28:41,880 Here, 599 00:28:41,880 --> 00:28:45,520 we flex our more creative thinking skills—lateral, 600 00:28:45,520 --> 00:28:46,760 divergent, 601 00:28:46,760 --> 00:28:52,120 or systems thinking allows us to reach out and try something different - What 602 00:28:52,120 --> 00:28:55,240 if we did nothing and let the sales team sort it out on their own? 603 00:28:55,240 --> 00:28:58,560 What if the sales team worked from home from now on? 604 00:28:58,560 --> 00:29:01,120 What if all this friction is a good thing? 605 00:29:01,120 --> 00:29:05,680 What if the friction is alerting us to a bigger problem in the business? 606 00:29:05,680 --> 00:29:08,200 As with all creative thinking, 607 00:29:08,200 --> 00:29:13,440 this step needs to be done without self-censorship or the fear of not finding a 608 00:29:13,440 --> 00:29:14,680 solution quickly enough. 609 00:29:14,680 --> 00:29:16,040 On the other hand, 610 00:29:16,040 --> 00:29:20,800 dwelling too long on the What if can result in stagnant “analysis 611 00:29:20,800 --> 00:29:24,440 paralysis”—that’s where determining relevance will come in handy! 612 00:29:24,440 --> 00:29:28,400 You could follow each of the above questions with a more practical, 613 00:29:28,400 --> 00:29:30,080 concrete How? 614 00:29:30,080 --> 00:29:34,920 This will allow you to quickly disqualify ideas that won’t practically work, 615 00:29:34,920 --> 00:29:38,280 and focus in on those with more real-world potential. 616 00:29:38,280 --> 00:29:41,200 What if we do nothing? 617 00:29:41,200 --> 00:29:42,120 How? 618 00:29:42,120 --> 00:29:43,320 That’s easy, 619 00:29:43,320 --> 00:29:44,480 we don’t do anything, 620 00:29:44,480 --> 00:29:46,760 and check in a month to see the result. 621 00:29:46,760 --> 00:29:48,840 What if they worked from home? 622 00:29:48,840 --> 00:29:49,920 How? 623 00:29:49,920 --> 00:29:51,680 That will be difficult. 624 00:29:51,680 --> 00:29:53,800 Some of the work needs to be done in person. 625 00:29:53,800 --> 00:29:57,280 What if the friction is a good thing? 626 00:29:57,280 --> 00:29:58,240 How? 627 00:29:58,240 --> 00:29:59,760 On second thought, 628 00:29:59,760 --> 00:30:03,200 it does appear to have few advantages for anyone. 629 00:30:03,200 --> 00:30:07,960 What if the friction is alerting us to a bigger business problem? 630 00:30:07,960 --> 00:30:09,000 How? 631 00:30:09,000 --> 00:30:12,920 We could start by asking the sales team what the problem is. 632 00:30:12,920 --> 00:30:14,000 How? 633 00:30:14,000 --> 00:30:18,720 We could conduct individual interviews and see if we can find a common answer, 634 00:30:18,720 --> 00:30:22,320 then decide if there’s a bigger issue ...and so on. 635 00:30:22,320 --> 00:30:27,760 You’ll notice that this kind of thinking is more or less an expanded version 636 00:30:27,760 --> 00:30:30,400 of the scientific method’s - “If I do this, 637 00:30:30,400 --> 00:30:31,160 what will happen?" 638 00:30:31,160 --> 00:30:35,240 By combining both creative and analytical thinking skills, 639 00:30:35,240 --> 00:30:37,760 the problem is expanded and analyzed, 640 00:30:37,760 --> 00:30:41,800 allowing a methodical process that leads to a well-considered solution. 641 00:30:41,800 --> 00:30:46,480 We first stock our toolkit with as many useful tools as possible, 642 00:30:46,480 --> 00:30:50,960 and then devise a structured method for taking out each one in turn, 643 00:30:50,960 --> 00:30:53,320 when it’s most needed and appropriate. 644 00:30:53,320 --> 00:30:57,520 This approach even allows us to devise new tools as necessary! 645 00:30:57,520 --> 00:31:02,680 Another way to synthesize all these different aspects of thinking is called 646 00:31:02,680 --> 00:31:04,000 reverse engineering. 647 00:31:04,000 --> 00:31:09,280 The trouble with using different cognitive tools is that one size most 648 00:31:09,280 --> 00:31:10,720 certainly does not fit all. 649 00:31:10,720 --> 00:31:11,760 Sometimes, 650 00:31:11,760 --> 00:31:13,960 you need a tool that is so specific, 651 00:31:13,960 --> 00:31:18,600 it can literally only solve the very unique problem you have in front of you. 652 00:31:18,600 --> 00:31:19,840 In this case, 653 00:31:19,840 --> 00:31:24,400 reverse engineering can help you design that tool working from the solution 654 00:31:24,400 --> 00:31:24,720 backward, 655 00:31:24,720 --> 00:31:29,680 rather than trying to trial-and-error the tools you already have and hoping one 656 00:31:29,680 --> 00:31:30,160 fits. 657 00:31:30,160 --> 00:31:32,360 The term is, 658 00:31:32,360 --> 00:31:32,880 obviously, 659 00:31:32,880 --> 00:31:34,400 borrowed from the engineering world, 660 00:31:34,400 --> 00:31:37,720 and refers to starting with a finished gadget or appliance, 661 00:31:37,720 --> 00:31:41,240 then deconstructing it to find out how it works, 662 00:31:41,240 --> 00:31:44,520 pulling apart its components to better understand how they function. 663 00:31:44,520 --> 00:31:48,520 This is in contrast to building the appliance from the ground up. 664 00:31:48,520 --> 00:31:53,360 Any time we look at a finished problem or situation, 665 00:31:53,360 --> 00:31:56,200 we can reverse engineer it and ask, 666 00:31:56,200 --> 00:31:59,280 what happened to bring about this state of affairs? 667 00:31:59,280 --> 00:32:02,640 What circumstances and actors came together, 668 00:32:02,640 --> 00:32:03,920 and in what way, 669 00:32:03,920 --> 00:32:08,680 to produce this finished “product” (i.e. the problem or solution in front 670 00:32:08,680 --> 00:32:08,840 of you). 671 00:32:08,840 --> 00:32:13,200 We can also use this way of thinking to design a way of thinking itself, 672 00:32:13,200 --> 00:32:15,400 i.e. a mental tool. 673 00:32:15,400 --> 00:32:17,280 We can ask ourselves, 674 00:32:17,280 --> 00:32:20,360 what would it look like if I knew the answer here? 675 00:32:20,360 --> 00:32:22,600 What form would my solution take? 676 00:32:22,600 --> 00:32:25,920 What would be different if I didn’t have this problem? 677 00:32:25,920 --> 00:32:27,360 In this way, 678 00:32:27,360 --> 00:32:30,960 you are starting from a finished tool (i.e. the solution) 679 00:32:30,960 --> 00:32:32,640 and working your way backward. 680 00:32:32,640 --> 00:32:36,760 This can be tricky to do and takes time, 681 00:32:36,760 --> 00:32:39,760 but is enormously powerful when done properly. 682 00:32:39,760 --> 00:32:44,640 It’s a line of questioning that allows for the generation of new ideas and 683 00:32:44,640 --> 00:32:46,000 for creative thinking, 684 00:32:46,000 --> 00:32:50,440 but all within a clearly delineated field of relevance—because you’ve 685 00:32:50,440 --> 00:32:52,960 already identified the end point or goal. 686 00:32:52,960 --> 00:32:57,600 Try out your proposed solutions/tools and see what happens. 687 00:32:57,600 --> 00:32:59,000 If they worked, 688 00:32:59,000 --> 00:33:00,400 what worked and why? 689 00:33:00,400 --> 00:33:01,480 If not, 690 00:33:01,480 --> 00:33:03,680 what does it tell you about your tool? 691 00:33:03,680 --> 00:33:06,760 About the assumptions you used to make your tool? 692 00:33:06,760 --> 00:33:10,760 The process is iterative and dynamic. 693 00:33:10,760 --> 00:33:14,960 You can keep going as long as you’re curious and want to improve on your 694 00:33:14,960 --> 00:33:15,600 process. 695 00:33:15,600 --> 00:33:18,080 In the sales team example, 696 00:33:18,080 --> 00:33:22,920 we can consider the situation as it is as a complex social machine. 697 00:33:22,920 --> 00:33:26,480 How could we take it apart and look at how it works? 698 00:33:26,480 --> 00:33:31,320 If we wanted to design a machine that would result in maximum conflict and 699 00:33:31,320 --> 00:33:32,160 inefficiency, 700 00:33:32,160 --> 00:33:33,120 how would we do it, 701 00:33:33,120 --> 00:33:36,360 and what does it tell us about the right way to do things? 702 00:33:36,360 --> 00:33:41,240 Whichever way we choose to use the many different cognitive tools at our 703 00:33:41,240 --> 00:33:41,760 disposal, 704 00:33:41,760 --> 00:33:45,280 there’s no escaping the fact that problem solving, 705 00:33:45,280 --> 00:33:46,480 creativity, 706 00:33:46,480 --> 00:33:50,600 and analytical thought are best experienced and practiced, 707 00:33:50,600 --> 00:33:52,120 and not merely talked about. 708 00:33:52,120 --> 00:33:53,760 In that spirit, 709 00:33:53,760 --> 00:33:58,440 we’ll turn our attention now to the more practical part of our book—the 710 00:33:58,440 --> 00:33:59,400 riddles themselves. 711 00:33:59,400 --> 00:34:01,640 As you read through each one, 712 00:34:01,640 --> 00:34:07,280 try to resist the urge to leap ahead and read the answer without trying first! 713 00:34:07,280 --> 00:34:13,280 The real value of a riddle is in its unsolved form—see the answer too soon 714 00:34:13,280 --> 00:34:16,280 and you rob yourself of the chance to puzzle through it yourself. 715 00:34:16,280 --> 00:34:18,040 Read through the riddle, 716 00:34:18,040 --> 00:34:19,080 pause, 717 00:34:19,080 --> 00:34:24,080 and consider which of the thinking modes already discussed could come in handy. 718 00:34:24,080 --> 00:34:29,000 Slow down and become deliberate and obvious in your thinking. 719 00:34:29,000 --> 00:34:30,280 Ask yourself, 720 00:34:30,280 --> 00:34:32,640 what assumptions am I making? 721 00:34:32,640 --> 00:34:35,440 What kind of problem or question is this? 722 00:34:35,440 --> 00:34:38,040 What conventions am I relying on? 723 00:34:38,040 --> 00:34:41,400 Does this puzzle look like anything I’ve done before? 724 00:34:41,400 --> 00:34:42,400 And so on. 725 00:34:42,400 --> 00:34:44,040 Lastly, 726 00:34:44,040 --> 00:34:48,400 don’t get too frustrated if you simply can’t figure a puzzle out. 727 00:34:48,400 --> 00:34:50,640 Some people relish a real challenge, 728 00:34:50,640 --> 00:34:53,360 but others will find themselves frustrated, 729 00:34:53,360 --> 00:34:55,440 at a dead end without any further insight. 730 00:34:55,440 --> 00:34:56,440 Remember, 731 00:34:56,440 --> 00:34:59,160 the goal of a riddle is not to find the answer, 732 00:34:59,160 --> 00:35:04,480 but to explore and strengthen the processes that allow you to find the answer. 733 00:35:04,480 --> 00:35:10,960 These are only silly cognitive games—the real gain is to be had in the more 734 00:35:10,960 --> 00:35:12,800 finely developed sense of creative, 735 00:35:12,800 --> 00:35:13,800 analytical, 736 00:35:13,800 --> 00:35:17,640 and abstract thought you’ll earn as a result of going through them. 737 00:35:17,640 --> 00:35:18,120 So, 738 00:35:18,120 --> 00:35:21,400 don’t worry if a good few of these riddles completely stump you. 739 00:35:21,400 --> 00:35:24,240 Takeaways - 740 00:35:24,240 --> 00:35:30,120 •Riddles are phrases or questions framed in the form of puzzles that require 741 00:35:30,120 --> 00:35:35,880 all types of thinking to deduce its answer or some double meaning underlying 742 00:35:35,880 --> 00:35:36,440 its words. 743 00:35:36,440 --> 00:35:39,120 They employ several different patterns of thinking, 744 00:35:39,120 --> 00:35:45,400 challenging us to work with limited information in unique ways. No one style 745 00:35:45,400 --> 00:35:46,680 of thinking is better than the other. 746 00:35:46,680 --> 00:35:49,200 Each is useful in different situations, 747 00:35:49,200 --> 00:35:52,360 and we must grasp how to apply them correctly. 748 00:35:52,360 --> 00:35:55,680 This is exactly what riddles help us learn, 749 00:35:55,680 --> 00:35:58,680 since it involves many different thinking styles. 750 00:35:58,680 --> 00:36:04,400 •The most important tool that helps solve riddles is divergent thinking. 751 00:36:04,400 --> 00:36:09,320 This form of thinking demands that you survey and analyze all possible 752 00:36:09,320 --> 00:36:11,520 solutions to any given problem. 753 00:36:11,520 --> 00:36:13,160 In its opposite, 754 00:36:13,160 --> 00:36:15,320 convergent (or critical) 755 00:36:15,320 --> 00:36:15,440 thinking, 756 00:36:15,440 --> 00:36:19,800 we generally operate within a set of rules and use them to work our way to 757 00:36:19,800 --> 00:36:20,960 arrive at answers. 758 00:36:20,960 --> 00:36:21,840 However, 759 00:36:21,840 --> 00:36:23,120 in divergent thinking, 760 00:36:23,120 --> 00:36:24,680 the rules are immaterial, 761 00:36:24,680 --> 00:36:28,360 and we must explore any and all relevant solutions. 762 00:36:28,360 --> 00:36:32,800 •Other important tools include lateral thinking, 763 00:36:32,800 --> 00:36:37,640 which involves studying how we infer something from information given to us. 764 00:36:37,640 --> 00:36:41,120 Systems thinking calls on you to look at the bigger picture, 765 00:36:41,120 --> 00:36:46,920 namely how components of any idea or solution fit with one another to form a 766 00:36:46,920 --> 00:36:47,760 coherent whole. 767 00:36:47,760 --> 00:36:49,320 Lastly, 768 00:36:49,320 --> 00:36:53,640 inspirational thinking requires you to gain insight from some source, 769 00:36:53,640 --> 00:36:57,600 like a peak experience or an altered state of consciousness. 770 00:36:57,600 --> 00:37:02,360 This type of thinking lets our unconscious mind solve problems for us, 771 00:37:02,360 --> 00:37:06,040 allowing our conscious selves to benefit from it. 772 00:37:06,040 --> 00:37:12,200 •A complete problem-solving strategy involves a certain sequence that 773 00:37:12,200 --> 00:37:14,800 combines all of these thinking frameworks. 774 00:37:14,800 --> 00:37:15,600 Often, 775 00:37:15,600 --> 00:37:19,640 the first step is to identify the specifics of the problem you’re faced with. 776 00:37:19,640 --> 00:37:20,840 Following that, 777 00:37:20,840 --> 00:37:25,320 you need to evaluate the quality of the information available through research. 778 00:37:25,320 --> 00:37:27,720 Identify any biases you may have, 779 00:37:27,720 --> 00:37:32,080 and debate with yourself to recognize any holes in your logic. 780 00:37:32,080 --> 00:37:33,920 This has been 781 00:37:33,920 --> 00:37:35,960 Learn to Think Using Riddles, 782 00:37:35,960 --> 00:37:37,120 Brain Teasers, 783 00:37:37,120 --> 00:37:38,080 and Wordplay: 784 00:37:38,080 --> 00:37:39,680 Develop a Quick Wit, 785 00:37:39,680 --> 00:37:41,840 Think More Creatively and Cleverly, 786 00:37:41,840 --> 00:37:54,840 and Train your Problem-Solving instincts By Patrick King, narrated by russell newton.