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Many years ago in a small Indian
village, a farmer had the misfortune of
owing a large sum of money to a village
moneylender. |
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The Moneylender, who was old and ugly,
fancied the farmer's beautiful
Daughter. So he proposed a bargain. |
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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. |
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So the cunning moneylender 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. |
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1) If she picked the black pebble, she
would become his wife and her father's
debt would be forgiven. |
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2) If she picked the white pebble she
need not marry him and her father's debt
would still be forgiven. |
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3) But if she refused to pick a pebble,
her father would be thrown into Jail. |
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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. |
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As he picked them up, the sharp-eyed
girl noticed that he had picked up two
Black pebbles and put them into the bag.
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He then asked the girl to pick a pebble
from the bag. |
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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? |
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Careful analysis would produce three
possibilities: |
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1. The girl should refuse to take a
pebble. |
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2. The girl should show that there were
two black pebbles in the bag And expose
the money-lender as a cheat.
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3. The girl should pick a black pebble
and sacrifice herself in order To save
her father from his debt and
imprisonment. |
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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. |
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The girl's dilemma cannot be solved with
traditional logical thinking.
Think of the consequences if she
chooses the above logical answers.
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What would you recommend to the Girl to
do? |
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Well,
here is what she did .... |
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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. |
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"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."
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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. |
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MORAL
OF THE STORY: |
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Most
complex problems do have a solution. |
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It is
only that we don't. |
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Attempt to think differently. |