Logical vs Lateral Thinking (The Pebbles)

[Simon]

The Pebbles

Many years ago in a small village, a farmer had the
misfortune of owing a large sum of money to a village
moneylender.

The moneylender, who was an awful, mean man, fancied
the farmer's beautiful daughter. Since the farmer was
unable to pay the debt, the moneylender proposed a
deal.

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. So the cunning money-
lender 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 of the two
pebbles from the bag.

If she picked the black pebble, she would become his
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 farmer's field. As they talked, the
moneylender bent over to pick up two pebbles. As he
picked them up, the sharp-eyed girl noticed that both
of the pebbles he picked up and put into the bag were
black. He then told the girl 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 girl?

If you had to advise her, what would you have told her?

Careful analysis would produce three possibilities:

1: The girl should refuse to take a pebble.

2: The girl should show that there were two black
pebbles in the bag and expose the money-lender
as a cheat.

3: The girl should pick a black pebble and sacrifice
herself in order to save her 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 help us appreciate
the difference between lateral and logical thinking.
The girl's dilemma cannot be solved with traditional
logical thinking. Think of the consequences if she
chooses any of the above logical answers.

What would you recommend to the girl to do?

Well, here is what she did . . . .

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 is reasonable
to 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
extremely favorable one for herself and her father.

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