[BITList] Fwd: [vsdh] The difference between lateral and logical thinking

[Michael Feltham]

Begin forwarded message:

From: "Karoo"
Date: 9 May 2009 18:45:51 BST

Subject: [vsdh] The difference between lateral and logical thinking

For fellow India aficionados - this could be
one out of Aesop !
Wishes
Sally

Many years ago in a small Indian village, a farmer had
  the misfortune of owing a large sum of money to a
  village moneylender.

  The moneylender, who was old and ugly, fancied the
  farmer's beautiful daughter. So he proposed a bargain.

  He said he would forgo the farmer's debt if he could
  marry his daughter. Both the farmer and his daughter
  were horrified by the proposal. So the cunning
  money-lender suggested that they let providence decide
  the matter. He told them that he would put a black
  pebble and a white pebble into an empty money bag.

  Then the girl would have to pick one pebble from the
  bag.

  1) If she picked the black pebble, she would become
  his wife and her father's debt would be forgiven.

  2) If she picked the white pebble she need not marry
  him and her father's debt would still be forgiven.

  3) But if she refused to pick a pebble, her father
  would be thrown into jail.

  They were standing on a pebble strewn path in the
  farmer's field. As they talked, the moneylender bent
  over to pick up two pebbles. As he picked them up, the
  sharp-eyed girl noticed that he had picked up two
  black pebbles and put them into the bag. He then asked
  the girl to pick a pebble from the bag.

  Now, imagine that you were standing in the field.

  What would you have done if you were the girl?

  If you had to advise her, what would you have told
  her?

  Careful analysis would produce three possibilities:

  1. The girl should refuse to take a pebble.

  2. The girl should show that there were two black
  pebbles in the bag and expose the money-lender as a
  cheat.

  3. The girl should pick a black pebble and sacrifice
  herself in order to save her father from his debt and
  imprisonment.

  Take a moment to ponder over the story. The above
  story is used with the hope that it will make us
  appreciate the difference between lateral and logical
  thinking. The girl's dilemma cannot be solved with
  traditional logical thinking. Think of the
  consequences if she chooses the above logical answers.


  What would you recommend to the Girl to do?









Well, here is what she did ....

  The girl put her hand into the moneybag and drew out a
  pebble. Without looking at it, she fumbled and let it
  fall onto the pebble-strewn path where it immediately
  became lost among all the other pebbles.

  "Oh, how clumsy of me," she said. "But never mind, if
  you look into the bag for the one that is left, you
  will be able to tell which pebble I picked."

  Since the remaining pebble is black, it must be
  assumed that she had picked the white one. And since
  the money-lender dared not admit his dishonesty, the
  girl changed what seemed an impossible situation into
  an extremely advantageous one.


  MORAL OF THE STORY:

  Most complex problems do have a solution. It is only
  that we don't attempt to think.

Complex problems tend to make me dizzy !
Sally




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