Lateral Thinking Test

[David Baxter PhD]

Take the Lateral Thinking Test that only one person has solved so far!
OnlineCounseling.org

Many years ago in a small Indian village, a farmer had the misfortune of owing a large sum of money to a female village moneylender. The female Moneylender, who was old, fat and ugly, fancied the farmer's handsome son, Cliff.

So she proposed a bargain. She said she would forego the farmer's debt if she could marry his son. Both the farmer and his son were horrified by the Proposal.

So the cunning female moneylender suggested that they let Providence decide the matter. She told them that she would put a black Pebble and a white pebble into an empty moneybag. Then the son would have to pick one pebble from the bag.

• If he picked the black pebble, he would become her husband and her father's debt would be forgiven.
• If he picked the white pebble he need not marry her and his father's debt would still be forgiven.
• But if he refused to pick a pebble, his father would be thrown into Jail

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. As she picked them up, the sharp-eyed son noticed that she had picked up two Black pebbles and put them into the bag. She then asked the son to pick a pebble from the bag.

Now, imagine that you were standing in the field. What would you have done if you were the son? If you had to advise him, what would you have told him? Careful analysis would produce three possibilities:

• The son should refuse to take a pebble.
• The son should show that there were two black pebbles in the bag and expose the moneylender as a lying, backstabbing female cheat.
• The son should pick a black pebble and sacrifice himself in order to save his father from his debt and imprisonment.

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. The son's dilemma cannot be solved with traditional logical thinking. Think of the consequences if he chooses the above logical answers.

What would you recommend to the son to do?

To find out what he did, email your solution to OnlineCounseling.org and you will be emailed the answer, subscribe to their free monthly personal growth Ezine to get the answer in the next issue, or read the answer online next week.

And no, the person who got it right wasn't me.

 

[Mari]

H! Since I still cannot view the expert film I decided to send in a solution to the son's dilemma. It refused to send using my email account :hissyfit: so I had to use my son's email account. I hope it goes through. Maybe I should consider taking a computer course. :noidea: Mari

 

[Into The Light]

i have some thoughts on this but would that spoil it for everyone if i shared those?

 

[David Baxter PhD]

I don't know. It depends on what your thoughts are.

 

[Into The Light]

thanks for the help! :lol: i guess i have to just keep them to myself then.. or i could pm people if they want me to

 

[Meg]

Ooooh I have an idea!

 

[Mari]

H! Meg. Did you PM ITL with your idea? I think her solution is as good or maybe even better than the one given. :dimples: Mari

 

[Meg]

No, I didn't pm itl, though perhaps I will 'cause I'd like to hear her thoughts... and there's a solution given??

*heads to the webpage*

Edit: ooh I was right!! My idea was the first answer given.

 

[xenopath]

Given that he's in a field full of pebbles, couldn't he find an opportunity to grab a white one, palm it, and pretend to have drawn it from the bag? It's not like the woman could protest, since that would expose her trick.

 

[amastie]

Since we're sharing some ideas,
would it be contrary to the rules for the boy to invite the old woman to pick the first pebble and that he would accept whichever one was left?? Or would that not be the same as "choosing" one himself?
That's as far as I could get
amastie

 

[David Baxter PhD]

The solution is now posted at Lateral Thinking Test Solution for those who have submitted an answer. I won't post it here because that would spoil it for those who'd like to try to work out the solution first.

 

[amastie]

Ok, so my answer wasn't as good, but one should get points for being lateral, even if their lateral was not literally correct
:consider this a smilie for when my nose is out of joint:
I'm half asleep as I sit here. I'm off to bed.
Lateral thinking tests are so much fun. If anyone finds any more, let me know.,
Yours in groggy weariness..
amastie

 

[Meg]

You guys asked questions so I thought I may as well give hints (for the main solution, anyway). If you don't want to read the hints relating to your questions, don't read on!!










The fact that they're standing on a pebble-strewn path is important, Xenopath.

The idea that if one pebble is revealed to be black the other must be assumed to be white is also important, Amastie.

 

[amastie]

..mmmm :think:
amastie

 

[Meg]

Oh, sorry Amastie, dunce me didn't notice the thread went over the page :fool:

 

[amastie]

's ok
goodnight
amastie

 

[Pheonix]

I had this thought while driving home in the car. What if the famers son said to the dis-honest money lender, I will comply but with one request, change the out come of the colours around. I mean if the pebbles are both the same color, he can not go wrong. If the money lender refuses and can not give good reason, he can call her on it.