Extraordinary thinking has always been considered a rarity. In most cases, people tend to think in very stereotyped ways and do not want to go beyond generally accepted norms. They are driven by fear of change, judgment of others, and reluctance to work on the situation as a whole. This behavior is understandable and understandable, but at the same time it is incredibly depressing. People who have a different view on ordinary things are often subject to all sorts of accusations and misunderstandings. A person with extraordinary thinking is bound to face criticism, irony and ridicule from those around him.
He sometimes has to make considerable efforts in order to prove something, to carry out his plans. Let's take a closer look at the pros and cons of this type of thinking. After all, it can both contribute to the development of personality and lead to a certain isolation from the bulk of people.
Advantages
With unusual thinking, you can create a lot of new things, predict the outcome of certain events, and influence the overall result. If a person has an individual view of the world, then he clearly realizes his own value. It becomes much easier for him to find his place in life and to reveal certain abilities. To create a unique picture of perception means to have your own judgment about everything. It is quite difficult to manipulate such a person, because she strives for complete independence and wants to make her own decisions.
Are there people who changed their thinking with the help of Vladimir Serkin’s book “Freedom of the Shaman”?
In an interview with Rossiyskaya Gazeta, to the question “ What has changed in your life after communicating with a shaman?” Vladimir Serkin replied:
- I have become much calmer. Long-time acquaintances tell me that I seem to have become younger... Relationships with loved ones have become more spiritual. In some aspects it has become softer, and in others it has become tougher... Priorities have changed. But it is difficult to relate and explain.
It's really difficult to explain. As I said above, for a long time the book “Freedom of the Shaman” was a reference book for me, and every time I found new meanings and answers in it. This book by itself, without any practices or exercises, is a real simulator for changing perceptions, changing thinking, for looking at life from a different angle. Judging by reader reviews, this is indeed the case. Here's what people who changed their thinking with the help of this book write:
Reviews taken from the website
www. livelib.ru _
Creativity
Creativity in itself is an incredibly valuable asset. It does not copy reality, but transforms it. In fact, everyone has creative abilities in a certain sense. This is expressed in violent imagination, in the manifestation of interest in the outside world. But the fact is that not every individual agrees to voluntarily reveal them to others. In this case, extraordinary thinking will help you express yourself and rely on some personal characteristics.
Creating something is always interesting and enjoyable. As a result, self-esteem increases and a sense of self-worth is formed. A person usually gradually reveals his talent if he sees that he is good at doing certain things. In order to create something original and truly valuable, it is not superfluous to have individual thinking, which sometimes differs from the opinion of the majority. It must be admitted that few people dare to express their thoughts as openly as possible. Many people are afraid of judgment and misunderstanding from others.
Exercises
Developing creative thinking is a fun and easy process. The main obstacle you will face is your inner critic. Some exercises will seem stupid, pointless, stupid to you. Feel free to brush aside all these thoughts. Allow yourself, at least for the duration of your training, to be frivolous and fool around from the heart.
The tasks presented are suitable for adults and teenagers. Remember that they don't have the right solutions. Therefore, the question of whether I do everything this way should not bother you.
I accompanied some exercises with comments and shared my options for performing them. I encourage you to share too. There is a comment field at the bottom of the article. You can send the results of your creative activities there.
Associations
Pick up a book, open it to a random page and point your finger at any word without looking. Now come up with as many associations to it as possible. Start with the most obvious ones, and then try to get as far away from them as possible. At the end of the list you will have associations that only you understand. And that's okay.
I came across the word “notebook”. My associative row with him looks like this: words, sheets, paper, lines, white, diary, essay, numbers, mathematics, four, rustling, stain, crumbs, pocket, wound.
Paradoxical connections
Choose two words that are not related to each other. You can use the book again. Now try to come up with a sentence that uses both words logically.
I came across the words “monkey” and “win”. This is what I did with them: “I spent the whole evening trying to beat the monkey at chess, but I couldn’t.”
Instructions
Take any item and try to come up with as many ways to use it as possible. The more unusual and interesting they are, the better.
I took a toothbrush. She can:
- brush your teeth;
- clean shoes;
- paint;
- comb hair;
- apply a face mask;
- comb out cat hair;
- scratch your back, etc.
Once you have your list ready, come up with instructions for one of the uses. It might look something like this:
Take the toothbrush, place it in your right hand and clasp it tightly with all five fingers. Place your hand behind your back and begin to move up and down your back in the place where the itching is felt. Continue until the itching goes away. Perform multiple approaches if necessary.
Limited story
The essence of the exercise is that you need to come up with a story consisting of a certain number of words. You set this quantity in advance. For example, 100 words, 50 or 200. Try different options.
You cannot deviate even a word from the given quantity! The story should be coherent and logical. It must contain all the necessary elements of a story: beginning, climax and denouement.
New language
As a child, I loved inventing new letters and words. As it turns out, this is a great exercise in creativity. Try creating your own language. Start by writing the alphabet, then move on to words and sentences.
John Tolkien, author of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, had a lot of fun doing this exercise. As a result, he created the Elvish language, which is still spoken by admirers of his work.
Biography
Next time you find yourself in a crowded place, people watch. On public transport or in a queue, choose one “victim” for yourself and try to compile her biography. What kind of person is this, who does he work for, what is his hobby, what skeletons does he keep in his closet.
Idea's generator
Your task is to come up with as many ideas as possible of what to do on vacation. Let it be 100. Imagine that your boss was generous and gave you a whole year to rest. What will you do all this time?
Pros and cons
Take some thought, idea or statement and have a debate of sorts. First, formulate all the arguments in favor. Then take the other side and come up with arguments against it.
The statement may be completely meaningless and paradoxical. For example: “Blue whales can fly.” Accordingly, the arguments may seem stupid, far-fetched, and childish. Ignore these thoughts. One of the main goals of developing creativity is to defeat the inner critic. It is he who places severe restrictions on our way of thinking.
Essays
Mentally go back to school and remember your literature lessons. Just don’t rush to throw a slipper at me for such advice! I won’t force you to write down the meaning of Tatiana’s letter to Eugene Onegin on four sheets of paper. You can take absolutely any topic for your essays. The main thing is that you can reason and get smart enough.
Here is a list of ready-made topics if your imagination fails you:
- Why is the cold side of the pillow more pleasant than the warm side?
- What is the meaning of the expression “Called yourself a load, get into the back.”
- The moral background of Olga Buzova’s song “Halves Are Few.”
- Why a Bulgarian is a resident of Bulgaria, and a Bulgarian is an instrument.
Screenwriter
Start watching a movie you haven't seen before. When you reach the middle, pause the recording and try to predict the development of the plot. Think about what will happen to the key characters, what the ending of the story will be. It is best to do this in writing and then compare it with the original.
Fairytale creatures
What happens if you attach wings to a hedgehog? How about adding a trunk to the rhinoceros? Think of some strange non-existent animals and think about how they would live in the wild. For greater effect, you can draw them on paper or create them in a graphics editor. This will be excellent training for creative thinking.
Letter benefit
Your task is to come up with a sentence in which all words begin with the same letter. The longer it gets, the better. Try to make it meaningful, but don’t pick too much on the meaning.
This is what I came up with: “A cheerful crow cooed in Voronezh, spinning like a top in spite of everything.”
Finishing drawing
This is a team exercise. You can do it in the company of friends. One person must draw some detail on a piece of paper: a line, a stroke, a figure, a squiggle. The next one continues to draw something of his own on the same sheet, followed by another one. And so on.
Dictionary
One of my favorite exercises. You need to come up with new words based on existing ones. And do it in such a way that their meaning can be understood. Let me give you a few examples:
- Self-praise is a person who praises himself.
- Late market is a store that is open at night.
- Beecat is a cat with black and yellow stripes.
- Offended - a toad who is offended all the time.
- Tramvasya – Vasya, who loves to ride the tram.
Multiple solutions
This exercise not only develops creative thinking, but also helps to find the best way out of difficult situations. Next time you're faced with a real problem, brainstorm. Sit down and come up with as many possible solutions as possible.
Write down even the most ridiculous and crazy ideas. Perhaps one of them will be able to bypass the very stumbling block that you have been fighting against for more than one day.
I recently read a funny story on the Internet. The guy couldn't get his dorm roommate to clean up the mess. Then he registered on a dating site on behalf of the girl and met this slob there. The virtual romance developed rapidly, and soon the neighbor invited a new acquaintance to visit. Having received consent, he began to clean up. Soon the room was sparkling clean. Here is such a non-standard and creative way to solve the problem.
Abbreviations
Write a few short words of 3-5 letters. Then come up with a decoding for each word, as if it were an abbreviation.
For example:
- MOUTH – Fish Omelet with Cumin;
- MOUNTAIN – Sad Ombudsman Working as an Auto Mechanic;
- NIK – Scientific Research Sausage;
- LEV – Best European Currency.
The funnier, more surprising, and more paradoxical the acronyms are, the better.
Backwards
When walking down the street, read the words on signs and advertising banners backwards. For example, not a store, but “nizagam”, not a stop, but “akvonatso”. When you get used to words, you can take on phrases and sentences.
Illogical reading
Try reading fiction in an unusual way. Start not from the beginning, but from the middle. Anything that is not clear, figure it out yourself as the story progresses.
Take a look at our selection of books about thinking.
Idioms
The Russian language is rich in popular expressions, sayings, colorful epithets, and idioms. Some of them are well-known, but not all philologists know about the existence of some. I suggest you think about it and try to come up with an explanation for not the most famous Russian sayings. And then google the real meaning and evaluate the work of your imagination.
So, let's go:
- The birch is white, but the tar is black.
- One son is not a son, two sons are half a son, three sons are a son.
- The king favors, but the huntsman does not favor.
- It is high to God, far from the king.
What's in the picture
Type the phrase “incomprehensible photos” into your search engine and enjoy the fruits of human madness. Choose a couple of the strangest images and try to explain what is happening in them. It is desirable that the explanation be as crazy as the picture itself.
I really liked this photo, you can start with it.
Cut fragment
This exercise will help stimulate your brain and wean it from thinking in patterns. Find a reproduction of a well-known painting on the Internet, print it out and cut out the image of the key character with scissors. Yes, even the same Mona Lisa.
Think about what kind of environment Leonardo da Vinci's muse could organically fit into. You can, for example, imagine her sitting in a hairdresser's chair. Or imagine yourself in the role of a psychotherapist who listens to the client’s complaints. There are a lot of options. The most gifted ones can try to draw this setting on a piece of paper, and place a cut out character in the center.
Rewind
Learn to think in the opposite direction, namely: to build a logical chain not from beginning to end, but from end to beginning. If you know how to play chess, you can use this skill. Arrange the pieces on the board randomly and try to imagine what moves could lead to such an arrangement.
Fluke
Every time you are faced with some problem, resort to the help of words. Take any book, point at the first word you come across and try to find the key to the solution in it.
It’s not a fact that you will succeed, but it’s not that important. The main goal of the exercise is to shift your thoughts from the well-worn template rails towards creative thinking.
More than 100 cool lessons, tests and exercises for brain development
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Rearrangement
For this exercise we'll need a couple of news headlines. You can look for them in newspapers or on online news portals. When you find a worthwhile option, swap the nouns in it. For example, it was: “Golikova reported an increase in mortality in Russia,” but it became: “Mortality reported an increase in Golikova in Russia.” Or it was: “Scientists have invented a cure for coronavirus,” but it became: “Coronavirus has invented a cure from scientists.”
The resulting version will seem nonsense to you. Your mission is to fill it with as much meaning as possible. For example, the coronavirus has mutated into intelligent activity and figured out how to exterminate the scientists fighting it (ugh, ugh, I’ll go knock on wood).
Eternal questions
Remember yourself as a child. With the help of endless questions addressed to adults, you tried to get to the bottom of things and processes.
– Why does the tree sway?
- Because the wind blows.
– Why does the wind blow?
– Because the temperature changes.
– Why does the temperature change?
- Leave me alone, I'm tired of you with your questions!
Today, you are an adult, which means you can ask questions to yourself. Every time a question pops up in your mind, don't limit yourself to it. Build the chain further. After 3-4 questions you realize how little you actually know. A great reason to start expanding your horizons.
Double Look
Surely you have come across pictures in which you can see two different images by changing the focus of attention. Your task is to draw a similar picture. The excuse “I can’t draw” is not accepted. Take something simple, at least a vase and two faces. When you draw, you use the right hemisphere of your brain. As you know, it is precisely this that is responsible for creativity.
Drawing with both hands
Another exercise to develop the right hemisphere and improve interhemispheric impulse transmission. Take a pen or pencil in each hand. Start drawing a circle with one hand and a triangle with the other. This must be done simultaneously.
At first you will not be able to draw either of the two figures properly. Practice until you can make independent movements with both hands.
Abstract paintings
Ever taken a Rorschach personality test? Test subjects are required to look at abstract inkblots and choose what they look like. You and I will do something similar.
Take a sheet of paper and paint. After thoroughly wetting the brush, leave a few tasty blots on the sheet. You can use several colors. Then fold the sheet in half so that the stains are printed symmetrically on both sides of the sheet. You should end up with something similar.
I advise you to make several different copies at once. And then sit down to decipher it.
Look at each image in turn. What do you see on them? Try to come up with several options at once. The more complex they are, the better. For example, not a butterfly, but two bears climbing a palm tree with umbrellas in their teeth.
Defocus
Creative thinking does not tolerate rigidity and tension. The brain must be in a light and semi-relaxed state to think in new ways. Now we will learn to create such a state.
Start to perceive signals from all senses at once. Listen to the sounds outside the window, inhale the smell coming from the kitchen, look around, feel the touch of a warm blanket on your feet. At this moment, the brain will come into a defocused state and seem to freeze. Try to maintain this state for at least a few minutes. Increase the time each time.
Weird art
This exercise will help you not only develop creative thinking, but also get acquainted with the world's masterpieces of painting. History knows many artists who created paintings that were far from artistic realism. The most popular is Salvador Dali. Besides him there is Rene Magritte, Wassily Kandinsky, Max Ernst, Joan Miró and many others.
Start getting acquainted with the work of one of them. Carefully examine the paintings, look for an explanation for what you saw, reflect on the meaning that the author wanted to convey. This will help expand the boundaries of consciousness and learn to look at things from different angles.
My favorite is the late 15th century Dutch artist Hieronymus Bosch. His paintings contain many details, symbols, and encrypted messages. You can look at them for hours.
Getting to know the problem
The next time you encounter a problem, try to get to know it better. Ask yourself the following questions:
- What would problem taste like if it could be eaten?
- If she were a living creature, what kind would she be? Give reasons for your answer.
- If problem could talk, what would it tell you?
- Does the problem have siblings? What is her outlook on life? What does she do in her free time?
Reification of abstract concepts
We use many words in speech that have no material expression. These are abstract concepts and categories that exist only in our minds, for example: inspiration, mentality, spirituality, proof, confusion, etc. You can continue this series yourself.
Try to draw these words on a piece of paper. What do you associate them with? What do they look like? It will be great if you approach this exercise with all your imagination and create colorful detailed images.
By the way, you can train creative thinking online using special applications. On our website we have an overview of the most effective ones.
Self-development
Man is designed in such a way that if he does not move forward, he invariably moves backward. We must definitely strive for self-development, try ourselves in different directions. If you didn’t manage to demonstrate your knowledge in one thing, then you will probably be able to do it in another. An extraordinary mind always craves something new.
It is impossible to stay in one place and still feel comfortable. Self-development involves working effectively on yourself and overcoming various obstacles. If something seems incredibly difficult to you today, it is only because the corresponding skill has not yet been acquired.
What to read
If you are ready to take your thinking seriously and start using not only logical, standard schemes, but also “turn on” creativity, the following books will help you:
- "The Art of Thinking Big" by David Schwartz;
- "Right Brain Development" by Marilee Zdenek;
- “Rice Storm and 21 More Ways to Think Outside the Box” by Michael Micalko.
These three books can be perceived as real instructions for those who want to go beyond stereotyped thinking, abandon stereotypes and “pump up” their creativity. They are written in simple, easy language.
The authors offer many techniques that will change your way of thinking. The main thing is your sincere desire to go beyond the usual, try something new, expand your belief system and achieve more effective results.
Self-expression
Every individual needs to feel socially significant and useful. Without this, it is absolutely impossible to exist calmly in the outside world. Thinking outside the box comes with a lot of responsibility. You must have a high desire to achieve something, purposefully move towards the desired result.
Self-expression is a significant need for any individual. Only when we are willing to put in some effort do interesting transformations begin. The opportunity to qualitatively express your essence can present itself at any moment. This is why it is so important to constantly keep yourself in good shape.
Flaws
Having thought about what extraordinary thinking is, whether it is good or bad, it is necessary to consider the concept from different angles. If a person excessively opposes himself to others, this is also psychologically very traumatic for himself. This means that he will be in a state of forced confrontation with those who may be interested in him. When one individual thinks differently than the whole group, it becomes difficult for him to feel like he belongs, to fit into a certain framework. So, what are the pronounced disadvantages of thinking outside the box?
Method 2
Synectic Assault
Synectics is a combination of heterogeneous, often incompatible elements. This method is based on different types of analogy:
• Direct: how are similar problems usually solved?
• Personal: an attempt to put oneself in the place of the subject (client, buyer)
• Summarizing: describing the problem in two words.
• Symbolic: How would a fictional or real historical figure solve this problem?
According to de Bono, this helps set thoughts in motion and also saves you from stereotypical thinking.
Conflicts
It is likely that those around you will not understand you. This is not surprising, because people are accustomed to thinking in established stereotypes. In most cases, those who promote new ideas are treated more than warily. On this basis, open conflicts may arise, leading to criticism. If an individual has already formed the habit of looking at the world more broadly, then, most likely, he will have to face misunderstandings from relatives, colleagues, friends and just acquaintances. People who do not live according to a script written by someone are usually laughed at, made fun of, considered more than strange and incomprehensible.
Six creative approaches
Often, a brainstorming technique is used to complete a specific task, during which a group of people propose and reject certain ideas. However, this method is often insufficiently effective due to the rapid rejection of proposals. Brainstorming participants simply do not have time to analyze this or that strategy, since their consciousness evaluates the significance of the proposed solution method by selecting familiar stereotypes. As an alternative, psychologists suggest using the six stages or principles of lateral intelligence.
Six stages:
- Collect specific information about the problem at hand, including specified conditions. It is necessary to determine what information is missing to find a strategy.
- Using emotional resources. You should ignore logic and trust your intuition. Abstract images and associations are used.
- Creative search is the main stage during which it is necessary to offer the least clichéd possible strategies for solving a problem.
- Criticism. Constructive criticism of each proposed strategy is necessary. It is important to use arguments.
- Optimistic view. You need to find the pros of each proposed strategy.
- Organizational stage. A scrupulous integration of the proposed methods for completing the task is carried out.
The listed principles can be applied when searching for solutions independently and in groups.
High probability of risk
An unusual way of thinking suggests that an individual refuses many models of behavior imposed by society. He is ready to act according to his own convictions and often finds himself at risk.
Many people engage in risky business, investing money in companies that are not worth getting involved with. A high probability of risk is always present among those who go against the requirements of society and strive to live according to their own laws.
Study history and concept
British psychologist Edward de Bono made a great contribution to the study of mental processes. In 1967, the scientist published a large article on types of thinking. According to the concept of Edward de Bono, a person has vertical and lateral thinking.
The vertical form of thought involves the use of already existing ideas, that is, cognitive activity of this type is associated with the use of certain patterns. People accumulate patterns and implement complex forms of vertical thinking throughout their lives, but the principle remains unchanged.
In contrast, lateral thinking aims to create new strategies that ignore existing patterns. The main goal of such a process is to consider the problem from all possible sides.
The scientist believed that to improve creativity, two incentives are needed - “escape” and “provocation.” The essence of the first stimulus is the deliberate ignoring of already existing models for solving the problem. Typically, people are not inclined to take this approach, and those who still avoid standard solutions are asked not to reinvent the wheel. However, escaping patterns helps you find more options for completing a given task. The second principle, called provocation, is the suspension of judgment. With a creative approach, it is necessary to refrain from premature conclusions that complicate the further search for solutions. De Bono also emphasized the importance of positive emotions in creativity.
Type of thinking test
Some find it difficult to believe that someone can think about familiar things completely differently than they do. For this reason, dissidents often find themselves alone. Refusal of stereotypes is usually characteristic of people who are seeking, those who are not afraid to seem strange and misunderstood, but want to live exclusively by their own rules. The type of thinking test described below will help determine how much you can think outside the box and show individuality under normal conditions. The authors are E. P. Torrance and J. Guilford. The test task itself consists of ten pictures, which depict a rather abstract drawing.
It can be understood in different ways. The task is to try to figure out what exactly is in front of you: some object, animal or person. If you found more than three or four answer options for each picture, then we can say that you have a rather unconventional way of perceiving reality. Of course, everyone will see something different in these pictures. You can take the test at any age. The task lifts your spirits and helps you feel like a much more developed and self-sufficient person.
Is creativity good or bad?
Thought processes have a variety of applications in everyday life. This is the satisfaction of natural needs, interaction with people, performance of professional duties and adaptation to the changing conditions of the surrounding world. In each case, a person may require a certain type of thinking to achieve better results. The predominance of one type of intellectual activity has its pros and cons.
Having a distinctly non-standard approach is best suited for representatives of creative professions. Creative search requires getting rid of persistent stereotypes. A person needs a rich imagination, free from obsessive images and conclusions. At the same time, such a personality trait may be less useful in the exact and technical sciences, when the mind is required to obey clear principles. It is important to understand that complete dominance of one type of intellectual activity over others is rare.
How to develop
Unconventional thinking tasks will help you develop a new perspective on everyday reality. You need to know how to act correctly so as not to create significant obstacles to self-realization.
Very often people do not understand what they want to achieve as a result, and do not know where to direct their efforts. Let's take a closer look at how to develop extraordinary thinking. It is likely that the steps listed will help someone show their true self.
Why it's hard to think outside the box
We all studied according to the same programs, we were taught to think in a certain way . We have similar stereotypes and often think in stereotypes. Well, how can it be different if that’s what is needed? If so is it correct? Start from the beginning, on the left (or right in Semitic cultures). Take a shortcut, look for connections that lie on the surface. And we follow the beaten path without even trying to change anything. The ability to think creatively and find innovative solutions is not often instilled in teachers.
This kind of thinking helps the brain save energy and guide us along the same path where thousands have already walked. And the brain, considering energy a valuable resource, is accustomed to saving it, and does it with pleasure, unless it is forced to work hard, of course. He himself will prefer instant solutions, quick decisions, beaten paths. Therefore, the ability to think outside the box is not given immediately if you start to develop it. But the same cognitive flexibility affects our thinking for a very long time, even if we stop developing it after a while.
And most of us prefer the comfort of familiar procedures. The ability to think outside the box can mean challenging our long-held beliefs and societal stereotypes. We don’t want to make mistakes about ourselves, our understanding of the world and people. And we don’t want to upset society and ourselves. For many, it is easier to even pretend to be a fool or a fool than to fight with society or with the boss and defend their non-standard thinking or vision of the situation. Read more about this in the article why smart people do stupid things.
Companies often avoid risks that could have a negative impact on their profits , even though there are many success stories illustrating that some risks pay off many times over. Steve Jobs was fired by the board of directors of the company he founded. But later, after Apple bought the NeXT operating system created by his team, Jobs became Apple's CEO and its shares rose 9,000 percent under his leadership. But how many followed their example and began to take more risks? Perhaps only a few well-known companies like Google have done this. Others limit people from being creative and trying to think outside the box.
