Many hundreds of years ago in a small Italian town, a merchant had the misfortune
of owing a large sum of money to the moneylender. The moneylender, who was old and
ugly, fancied the merchant's beautiful daughter so he proposed a bargain. He said he
would forgo the merchant's debt if he could marry the daughter. Both the merchant and
his daughter were horrified by the proposal.
The moneylender told them that he would put a black pebble and a white pebble into an
empty bag. The girl would then have to pick one pebble from the bag. If she picked the
black pebble, she would become the moneylender's wife and her father's debt would be
forgiven. If she picked the white pebble, she need not marry him and her father's debt
would still be forgiven. 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 merchant's garden. 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 her pebble from the bag.
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:
The girl should refuse to take a pebble.of owing a large sum of money to the moneylender. The moneylender, who was old and
ugly, fancied the merchant's beautiful daughter so he proposed a bargain. He said he
would forgo the merchant's debt if he could marry the daughter. Both the merchant and
his daughter were horrified by the proposal.
The moneylender told them that he would put a black pebble and a white pebble into an
empty bag. The girl would then have to pick one pebble from the bag. If she picked the
black pebble, she would become the moneylender's wife and her father's debt would be
forgiven. If she picked the white pebble, she need not marry him and her father's debt
would still be forgiven. 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 merchant's garden. 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 her pebble from the bag.
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:
The girl should show that there were two black pebbles in the bag and expose the
moneylender as a cheat.
The girl should pick a black pebble and sacrifice herself in order to save her father
from his debt and imprisonment.
The above story is used with the hope that it will make us appreciate the difference
between lateral and logical thinking.
Read on...
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 moneylender dared not admit his dishonesty, the girl changed what
seemed an impossible situation into an advantageous one.
MORAL OF THE STORY: Most complex problems do have a solution, sometimes we have
to think about them in a different way.
between lateral and logical thinking.
Read on...
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 moneylender dared not admit his dishonesty, the girl changed what
seemed an impossible situation into an advantageous one.
MORAL OF THE STORY: Most complex problems do have a solution, sometimes we have
to think about them in a different way.