| How many
non-uses of a paper-clip can you think of? Most people find this
quite hard which shows they are not fluid at activating the right
side of their brain. This is a lateral thinking task because you
have to get off the track of thinking of actual uses of a paper-clip.
This tests how random you can be.
The task is actually quite easy since
there are actually very, very few uses of a paper-clip; to clip
paper together and to eject stuck CDs from computers. Almost anything
else will do, except people find it so, so difficult! You can’t
fly to the moon on a paper-clip. You can’t marry a paper-clip.
You can’t use a paper-clip to teach snails quantum physics.
One of the reasons people freeze up and can’t think of anything,
especially in groups, is that someone has said something clever,
witty or particlularly good so now they have to compete with that.
No. When generating ideas you do not compete with anyone. The point
is not to outdo one another or try to be funny or clever. The point
is to come up with ideas.
You cannot use a paper-clip to solve
world povety.... hang on, perhaps you can. If we do this.... and
this... and suddenly a brave new idea has been found that changes
the world. And all because ‘judgement’ such as ‘that
won’t work, that’s stupid’ has been turned off.
Try it yourself.
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