So, How Smart Are You....!

There are three things on a table: A large and heavy candle, a box of tacks and a matchbox. You have to stick the candle to the wall using only those three items and also ensure the wax does not drip on to the table or the floor. How will you do it?

If you said you would use the tacks to hold the candle to the wall, sorry, it won’t work since the tacks are too small to secure the large candle.

If you are creative, you may say you would like a match and melt some was on the side of the candle and try and use the melted wax to stick the candle to the wall. It’s won’t work either. The wax will drip on to the floor.

There is only one way to do it. You need to take the tacks from the box and use them to fasten the empty box to the wall, then place the candle on it and light it.

This question was created by psychologist Karl Duncker in 1945 and has since come to be known as the Candle Problem. It has been used extensively by many behavioural scientists in a variety of research experiments to analyse problem-solving ability.

A key finding from all the studies is that irrespective of age, level of education, socioeconomic status, most participants find it difficult to solve the puzzle.

The reason the brain struggles to identify the solution to this simple puzzle is what behavioural scientists refer to as Functional Fixedness. It is a cognitive bias that limits our ability to use an object in more ways than it is traditionally used thus affecting our propensity to be creative when solving life’s challenges.

When participants are given the Candle Problem to solve, they initially assume that each of the three items have only one function. This limits their ability to recognize the dual function of the box of tacks - to hold the tacks and then to hold the candle too!

It’s only after you think outside the box, my pun be damned, that we are able to cluster the creativity necessary to solve the puzzle.

Thanks to researchers like Duncker, we are at least cognizant of the way we struggle to be innovative and creative in solving ordinary puzzles and everyday problems.

One way to overcome the challenge is to deliberately challenge yourself to see beyond the typical function of the objects you see every day. For instance, think about what else can you use your ceramic cup other than for having your coffee? Are your socks only for your legs or can you find something interesting to do with it elsewhere?

Keep doing this exercise daily and over time you will be amazed at your ability to see things creatively and engage in divergent thinking.

Here is a tip to get you started. Your coffee cup can also be your Bose or Blaupunkt speaker. Place your smartphone, speaker side down, in your coffee cup. The sound will bounce off of the bottom and amplify it throughout your room.

You may also want to read books on lateral thinking. Edward de Bono’s books are a good starting point. His puzzles are difficult to begin with, but once you get a hang of it, you will be able to answer them and also have a lot of fun in the process.

And also avoid Functional Fixedness!