Thinking Beyond Answers

We may not have all the answers to everything.

I am, sometimes, annoyed that authors offer a ‘one problem, one solution’ approach to puzzle books. Having explored some of these puzzles over extended periods, I have found that there is more than meets the back pages of these mind-bending questions. There are pure solutions, and there are impure solutions.

Consider this puzzle: Take six equal lengths of stick (pencils) and form four triangles*. There are several possibilities. If you change the conditions of the puzzle, you can make it more stringent and restrictive. We can be hemmed in by the rules, if we are not careful.

There may be more than one right answer. In fact, we have at least two choices (digital) to most problems or situations. Take it, or leave it. Two options. Anita Roddick said: ‘Three choices are a good beginning.’

We often hear of ‘no choice’. When is it ‘no choice’? Unless it is an act of God (QED) or something beyond our immediate control (world economy, stock markets, FOREX, traffic jams), we tend to have some sense of choice and possibility.

Today, few things are impossible. The impossible just takes longer.

We may have the solutions. We just need to look beyond the obvious, and identify the elusive. Ask, sense, comprehend, and appreciate. We do not always need to gain full understanding over things.

* Make only four exact triangles, with all points of the pencils touching each other.