Want to think outside the box? Why ‘goldfish thinking’ is a must

In a world quite geared toward homogeneity, thinking about imagining a ‘goldfish, but not cute and orange’ is maybe a bit far out there. Yet this playful challenge does much more than provide the twists and turns of a fun thought experiment. It talks about how one breaks free from conventional thinking and into innovation — a skill that turns out to be very helpful in school and early in one’s career.

Humans tend to travel very well-trodden paths at school and work. Some of those paths will lead to less-than-optimal solutions to new issues. The ‘non-cute, non-orange goldfish’ helps in breaking the barriers that prevent us from generating new ideas which do not concur with our notion of standard. It is not just a status-quo test but one that launches into new thoughts and hence, such innovative solutions.

See Problems from a Different Angle

Things viewed from a different perspective may offer solutions that can’t be seen with normal approaches. To illustrate, take on board a changed attitude towards the assignment handout in a group project assignment for the ‘not only to pass’ but to ‘ace the test’ outcome. This will be the result that is created more creatively. Students can take on board quite divergent ways of thinking to develop an exceptional class of approaches and, in so doing, render their work real, remarkable, and memorable.

Another great advantage of out-of-the-box thinking is that it fosters a culture respectful of newness and resourcefulness. When students are free to think out of the box, they further tend to appreciate the uniqueness brought to the table, which again boosts student engagement and satisfaction levels in the educational experience and creates a warm, supportive atmosphere for learning.

Competing in a Competitive World

With today’s fiercer competitive environments in academics and early career, the benefits are even greater when being different. The difference shows in students and freshers (starting their professional lives) who are willing to go the extra mile in further rethinking this conventional ‘goldfish’ concept. This will yield outstanding project ideas, give innovative approaches toward the solution of problems, and eventually lead to a more distinguished presence in academic and professional arenas.

It’s more than a bit quirky — the ‘think goldfish, but not cute and orange’ approach is a real strategy for creativity and innovation. Only in creating such an environment would such crazy ideas be accepted and encouraged, and the true potential hidden within students unlocked. So the next time that you are brainstorming for a science fair, or maybe even working on planning your next group assignment, remember the goldfish — it just might be what gets that next big idea going.