Creative thinking is a type of imaginative thinking that is different from analytical thinking.
Expanding your mental capacity with creative thinking can be improved with practice.
For instance, lay six stick matches on the table and make 4 equal sided triangles out of them.
After struggling fruitlessly in 2 dimensions, you soon learn that a 3-dimensional tetrahedron is the only way to accomplish the task.
If you learn to "think wild," you can let yourself imagine all kinds of possibilities and alternatives to problems in your life, including those you would ordinarily consider impractical or ridiculous.
For instance, think about the exact opposite of what normally comes to mind when you're posed with a problem; then elaborate on it from there.
If you have an opinion and another person has an opposite point of view, visualize yourself in the other person's shoes for a change.
List all the reasons why his opinion is valid; then list all the reasons why his opinion is invalid; and finally list all the irrelevant points.
Many people become stymied by getting embroiled in describing, complaining and criticizing another person's viewpoint, instead of directing their thinking toward action and deciding what can be done about the situation.
More than half of the world's greatest discoveries have been made through 'serendipity' or the finding of one thing while looking for something else; but remember, it takes a creatively aware person to recognize an opportunity when it presents itself.
In emergencies, people tend to panic instead of using their head to determine their options.
Many people hold opinions or views because they're blocked with emotional or prejudicial reasons.
By expanding your scope to include the opposite viewpoint from your position, you often become quickly unblocked.
While the U.S. leads the world in crime, drug addiction and indebtedness, Japan has little crime and drug addiction, and is the most solvent and educated nation in the world.
Do you think emotional and prejudicial reasons keep U.S. officials blocked from learning from Japan's example or are there other reasons?
Now discuss with a partner the opposite of the following assumptions to see where it leads you.
Open your mind and think wild.
Example:.
Assumption: With the millions of dollars already spent on AIDS research, there is still no permanent cure that has yet been found for the disease.
Opposite Considerations & Reasons Behind Them:.
1) The cure that has been found is too inexpensive and permanent and therefore it cannot afford a payback of the expense already out laid.
2) The disease is actually wanted by world controlling groups to eliminate undesirables and maintain fear in global populations.
3) An expensive, impermanent non-cure is really desired to secure a more continuous flow of revenue off of patients that can afford it.
4) By NOT revealing the cure for AIDS, the disease can be allowed to proliferate to overwhelming proportions, where only martial law with dictatorial edicts can maintain population control.
5) More money can be made looking for a cure than finding a cure, so all permanent cures must be suppressed.
Now find your own opposite considerations for the following assumptions: You have 2 minutes on each Assumption.
1) Pesticides ingested with your fruits and vegetables are too negligible to cause you any health problem.
2) Better education in public schools will take another 10 years or more to put into effect.
3) The unhealthy pollutants in the drinking water of many U.S. cities would simply cost too much to correct.
4) U.S. officials are attempting to curtail the flow of narcotics in the nation.