Lateral thinking

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 sharpeyed

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.