104:
95:
458:
the next aplitude for creative thinking defining the problem. We must ask ourselves: "What are the actual boundaries of the problem?" Perhaps some of you have seen this little problem before. Here are nine dots . This teaches us, we should avoid imposing limitations that are not in our problem, as I
537:
about the questions of how to feed a hungry world. He means that the need is to think imaginatively, creatively, about the development of less-developed countries, and not merely to keep pouring more money and technology into patterns of foreign aid established, not very successfully, over the past
150:
That puzzle represents the way a lot of people think. They get caught up inside the box of their own lives. You've got to approach any problem objectively. Stand back and see it for exactly what it is. From a little distance, you can see it a lot more clearly. Try and get a different perspective, a
146:
There is one particular puzzle you may have seen. It's a drawing of a box with some dots in it, and the idea is to connect all the dots by using only four lines. You can work on that puzzle, but the only way to solve it is to draw the lines so they connect outside the box. It's so simple once you
185:, he introduced the nine dots puzzle in 1969, from which the saying comes. According to The Creative Thinking Association of America, Mike Vance popularized the phrase "thinking out of the box". Moreover, it is claimed that the use of the nine-dot puzzle in consultancy circles stems from the
368:
An instructor at M.I.T. began his course with a group of graduate students one day by walking to the blackboard and drawing nine dots in this fashion We are not here to go through old routines. Don't let your thinking be contained in a small square of knowledge. Learn to
630:
Some of my best teachers have been those who utilize the techniques of shock and surprise to rouse me out of conventional habits of thought, forcing me to question accepted teaching and stimulating me to think "outside the
158:
All of a sudden, just like the puzzle, you'll see how to handle your problem. And just like the four lines that connect all the dots, you'll discover the course of action that's just right in order to set your life
77:
The origin of the phrase is unclear. "Think beyond the boundary"-metaphors, that is, metaphors that allude to think differently or with less constraints, seem to have an old history. For example, in 1888,
112:
The "nine dots" puzzle (left) has the goal of linking all 9 dots using four straight lines or less, without lifting the pen. Its solution (right) is to draw those lines "outside the box".
174:
is attested, again appearing together with the nine dots puzzle. In 1976, the phrase is used in
England and 1978 in the USA, both without mentioning the nine dots puzzle.
421:
One of our biggest advertising agencies "Breakthrough thinking is the fresh approach, the new concept, that gets outside the nine-dot square."
147:
realize the principle behind it. But if you keep trying to solve it inside the box, you'll never be able to master that particular puzzle.
69:
that means to think differently, unconventionally, or from a new perspective. The phrase also often refers to novel or creative thinking.
181:, it goes back to management consultants in the 1970s and 1980s challenging their clients to solve the "nine dots" puzzle. According to
278:
625:
620:
598:
593:
320:
252:
725:
17:
573:
359:
489:
484:
603:
it is abundantly clear that
Service people can turn their hand to many jobs provided they can think "outside the box."
736:
676:
177:
Beyond the above attestations, there are several unconfirmed accounts of how the phrase got introduced. According to
32:
837:
559:
551:
39:
344:
299:
842:
391:
507:
816:
452:
Platzer, Norbert A. J. (1963-04-18). "Incentiveness, Motivation, Training Needs of a
Scientist".
668:
122:
has been used as a metaphor of the type "think beyond the boundary". Early phrasings include
660:
802:
754:
615:
479:
460:
217:
135:
434:
8:
832:
745:
190:
182:
79:
758:
766:
710:
207:
58:
691:
786:
782:
770:
732:
721:
672:
661:
643:
186:
322:
The Annual
Register: a review of public events at home and abroad, for the year 1887
762:
256:
232:
119:
798:
202:
139:
327:
said that the
Liberal party became a one-man party, which scarcely ventured to
227:
155:
your problem has created within you and come at it from a different direction.
826:
523:
503:
411:
279:"think outside the box - Definition, meaning & more - Collins Dictionary"
212:
774:
717:
464:
222:
663:
The art of creative thinking how to be innovative and develop great ideas
178:
789:(1970). "Unicursal polygonal paths and other graphs on point lattices".
819:
citing Oxford
Advanced Learners Dictionary (OALD), Word of the Month
739:(more solutions to the nine dots problem - with less than 4 lines!)
558:. Vol. 9/#9. Data Processing Management Organization. p.
552:"Management of Personnel: Organization Patterns and Techniques"
373:
and you may be the one to solve man's most puzzling problems.
66:
128:
breakthrough thinking that gets outside the nine-dot square
103:
253:"box - definition of box in English - Oxford Dictionaries"
325:. London: Rivingtons, Waterloo Place. 1888. p. 168.
94:
31:"Outside the box" redirects here. For other uses, see
412:"'Breakthrough thinking' gets outside 9-dot square"
138:writes about this puzzle in a 1969 article for the
709:
619:
592:
522:
483:
410:
167:appears without mentioning the nine dots puzzle.
824:
712:Conceptual Blockbusting: A Guide to Better Ideas
435:"'to think outside the box': meaning and origin"
781:
132:what are the actual boundaries of the problem?
533:The problem, says William Davd Hopper, is to
385:
383:
381:
694:at Creative Thinking Association of America.
594:"Ex officer's strategy for business success"
292:
667:. London Philadelphia: Kogan Page. p.
342:
378:
614:
743:Scheerer, M. (1963). "Problem-solving".
742:
524:"Canada Entering Big League In Research"
502:
408:
357:
520:
451:
432:
14:
825:
644:"'Outside the Box': the Inside Story,"
549:
389:
193:, where the puzzle was used in-house.
170:Finally, in 1971, the specific phrase
707:
658:
478:
590:
27:Metaphor for unconventional thinking
508:"Language Log: X-ing outside the Y"
24:
817:Out-of-the-box vs. outside the box
767:10.1038/scientificamerican0463-118
701:
636:
25:
854:
810:
345:"Antedating of "Outside the Box""
459:told you before in the cases of
358:Anderson, John F. (1954-10-30).
102:
93:
33:Outside the Box (disambiguation)
685:
652:
624:. The Newark Advocate. p.
608:
584:
566:
543:
521:Westell, Anthony (1970-05-23).
514:
496:
472:
445:
433:Tréguer, Pascal (2021-04-28).
426:
402:
351:
343:O'Toole, Garson (2010-05-03).
336:
313:
271:
245:
13:
1:
300:"Thinking Outside The Square"
238:
597:. Sunday Telegraph. p.
409:Humphrey, Hal (1959-11-13).
390:Wilton, David (2021-07-19).
40:Out-of-the-box functionality
7:
550:Notaro, Michael R. (1971).
488:. Chicago Tribune. p.
331:prescribed by its dictator.
196:
63:thinking outside the square
10:
859:
591:Hall, David (1976-07-18).
580:. Oxford University Press.
485:"Blackmail Is the Problem"
72:
29:
118:Since at least 1954, the
535:think "outside the dots"
47:Thinking outside the box
38:Not to be confused with
692:Biography of Mike Vance
392:"think outside the box"
329:think outside the lines
84:think outside the lines
55:thinking beyond the box
51:thinking out of the box
838:Problem solving skills
165:think outside the dots
161:
791:Pi Mu Epsilon Journal
708:Adams, J. L. (1979).
616:Robert S., Mendelsohn
480:Peale, Norman Vincent
454:The Springfield Union
172:think outside the box
151:fresh point of view.
144:
18:Think outside the box
659:Adair, John (2007).
259:on November 21, 2016
218:Functional fixedness
163:In 1970, the phrase
153:Step outside the box
136:Norman Vincent Peale
759:1963SciAm.208d.118S
746:Scientific American
371:go outside the dots
364:Dallas Morning News
191:Walt Disney Company
124:go outside the dots
82:records the phrase
80:The Annual Register
57:and, especially in
787:Selfridge, John L.
417:Detroit Free Press
208:Einstellung effect
727:978-0-201-10089-1
621:"People's Doctor"
187:corporate culture
16:(Redirected from
850:
843:Systems thinking
806:
783:Golomb, Solom W.
778:
731:
715:
695:
689:
683:
682:
666:
656:
650:
640:
634:
633:
623:
612:
606:
605:
596:
588:
582:
581:
570:
564:
563:
547:
541:
540:
526:
518:
512:
511:
500:
494:
493:
487:
476:
470:
469:
449:
443:
442:
430:
424:
423:
414:
406:
400:
399:
387:
376:
375:
355:
349:
348:
340:
334:
333:
317:
311:
310:
308:
306:
296:
290:
289:
287:
285:
275:
269:
268:
266:
264:
255:. Archived from
249:
233:Lateral thinking
120:nine dots puzzle
106:
97:
43:
36:
21:
858:
857:
853:
852:
851:
849:
848:
847:
823:
822:
813:
728:
704:
702:Further reading
699:
698:
690:
686:
679:
657:
653:
641:
637:
613:
609:
589:
585:
572:
571:
567:
556:Data Management
548:
544:
519:
515:
501:
497:
477:
473:
450:
446:
431:
427:
407:
403:
396:Wordorigins.org
388:
379:
360:"Down to Earth"
356:
352:
341:
337:
319:
318:
314:
304:
302:
298:
297:
293:
283:
281:
277:
276:
272:
262:
260:
251:
250:
246:
241:
203:Egg of Columbus
199:
140:Chicago Tribune
116:
115:
114:
113:
109:
108:
107:
99:
98:
75:
44:
37:
30:
28:
23:
22:
15:
12:
11:
5:
856:
846:
845:
840:
835:
821:
820:
812:
811:External links
809:
808:
807:
779:
753:(4): 118–128.
740:
726:
703:
700:
697:
696:
684:
677:
651:
642:Kihn, Martin.
635:
618:(1978-03-31).
607:
583:
565:
542:
529:Ottawa Journal
513:
506:(2005-06-02).
504:Liberman, Mark
495:
482:(1969-10-25).
471:
456:. p. 52.
444:
439:word histories
425:
419:. p. 41.
401:
377:
350:
335:
312:
291:
270:
243:
242:
240:
237:
236:
235:
230:
228:Kobayashi Maru
225:
220:
215:
210:
205:
198:
195:
111:
110:
101:
100:
92:
91:
90:
89:
88:
74:
71:
26:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
855:
844:
841:
839:
836:
834:
831:
830:
828:
818:
815:
814:
804:
800:
796:
792:
788:
784:
780:
776:
772:
768:
764:
760:
756:
752:
748:
747:
741:
738:
737:0-201-10089-4
734:
729:
723:
719:
714:
713:
706:
705:
693:
688:
680:
678:9780749452186
674:
670:
665:
664:
655:
648:
645:
639:
632:
627:
622:
617:
611:
604:
600:
595:
587:
579:
575:
569:
561:
557:
553:
546:
539:
536:
531:. p. 7.
530:
525:
517:
509:
505:
499:
491:
486:
481:
475:
468:
466:
462:
455:
448:
440:
436:
429:
422:
418:
413:
405:
397:
393:
386:
384:
382:
374:
372:
366:. p. 1.
365:
361:
354:
346:
339:
332:
330:
324:
323:
316:
301:
295:
280:
274:
258:
254:
248:
244:
234:
231:
229:
226:
224:
221:
219:
216:
214:
213:Eureka effect
211:
209:
206:
204:
201:
200:
194:
192:
188:
184:
180:
175:
173:
168:
166:
160:
156:
154:
148:
143:
141:
137:
133:
129:
125:
121:
105:
96:
87:
85:
81:
70:
68:
64:
60:
56:
52:
48:
41:
34:
19:
794:
790:
750:
744:
718:W. W. Norton
716:. New York:
711:
687:
662:
654:
646:
638:
629:
610:
602:
586:
577:
568:
555:
545:
534:
532:
528:
516:
498:
474:
457:
453:
447:
438:
428:
420:
416:
404:
395:
370:
367:
363:
353:
338:
328:
326:
321:
315:
303:. Retrieved
294:
282:. Retrieved
273:
261:. Retrieved
257:the original
247:
223:Gordian Knot
176:
171:
169:
164:
162:
157:
152:
149:
145:
131:
130:(1959), and
127:
123:
117:
83:
76:
62:
54:
50:
46:
45:
797:: 107–117.
647:FastCompany
305:21 November
284:21 November
263:21 November
179:Martin Kihn
833:Creativity
827:Categories
578:OED Online
574:"box, n.2"
239:References
183:John Adair
538:20 years.
461:Kettering
159:straight.
59:Australia
775:13986996
197:See also
142:, quote:
134:(1963).
126:(1954),
65:) is an
803:0268063
755:Bibcode
189:of the
73:History
801:
773:
735:
724:
675:
49:(also
631:box."
465:Reppe
67:idiom
771:PMID
733:ISBN
722:ISBN
673:ISBN
649:1995
463:and
307:2016
286:2016
265:2016
763:doi
751:208
669:127
53:or
829::
799:MR
793:.
785:;
769:.
761:.
749:.
720:.
671:.
628:.
626:10
601:.
599:24
576:.
560:77
554:.
527:.
490:13
437:.
415:.
394:.
380:^
362:.
86:.
61:,
805:.
795:5
777:.
765::
757::
730:.
681:.
562:.
510:.
492:.
467:.
441:.
398:.
347:.
309:.
288:.
267:.
42:.
35:.
20:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
