| 
Lateral thinking brain teasers
The Speech
'The Speech' example of a real life event from the Increase your brain power lateral thinking puzzles
website. See if you can work it out.
The Speech
A politician wrote a long speech. How did it help his career even before he gave the speech?
Answer
Another example
Here's another example to help develop creative thinking approaches.
You've been on a long bushwalk in a remote part of Tasmania, but you and your walking party have got lost and you decide to wait and camp overnight to get your bearings in daylight. You decide to try some lateral thinking game with the items that you have with you:
- a mobile phone that is out of range
- a shoe lace
- a paper clip
- chopsticks
- and a mirror.
What range and possibilities did you come up with?
Take a look at the answers to a creativity test for possible paper clip uses.
So how can you develop lateral thinking?
- Read and solve some lateral thinking puzzle books , by author Paul Sloane who has written several books on lateral thinking puzzles.
- Visit a lateral thinking puzzle site: Brain food: Realistic lateral thinking puzzles
- Explore the fascinating list of Creativity tools: thinking to help develop your creative thinking from the American creativity association (ACA).
- Look for ways of thinking about problems and creating, selecting and implementing good ideas on the Creating Minds site.
Download a printable version of this page. Problems? Questions? Comments? Please provide us feedback.
Solution
In 1912, President Teddy Roosevelt was shot in the chest. The folded-up manuscript of his speech was in his pocket, and slowed the bullet, saving his life, and so helping his career.