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Lateral thinking

A compact thinking tool for spotting patterns and avoiding mistakes.

  1. The useful idea

    Lateral thinking is a manner of solving problems using an indirect and creative approach via reasoning that is not immediately obvious.

  2. How it works

    Synonymous to thinking outside the box, it involves ideas that may not be obtainable using only traditional step-by-step logic.

  3. Why it matters

    The cutting of the Gordian Knot is a classical example.

Use Lateral thinking as a quick check before trusting your first conclusion.

Use Lateral thinking as a quick check before trusting your first conclusion.

Test your recall

Which idea belongs to the explanation of Lateral thinking?

  • The useful idea — correct
  • How it works
  • Why it matters

Lateral thinking is a manner of solving problems using an indirect and creative approach via reasoning that is not immediately obvious.

EvergreenLast verified 2026-07-19

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