I will hazard a guess. I once saw a brain teaser type thing in which you were shown 9 dots like so...
. . .
. . .
. . .
...and the object was to draw triangles in which lines touched the dots in such a way that the only way it was possible to do it was to extend the sides of the triangle beyond the square box suggested by the dots. It's possible that the phrase "think outside the box" may also have come from this.
The point of the brain teaser was to explore the idea that most people will just assume that they weren't supposed to draw anything outside the 9 dots even though nothing was stated to that effect.
The nine dots is a puzzle which measures the cognitive feature of insight and lateral thinking in psychological tests.
The dots are arranged similar to the following pattern, but more along the lines of a square instead of a rectangle:
. . .
. . .
. . .
The subject is instructed to draw four straight lines, without lifting his pencil from the "paper," through all nine dots.
On first glance, most people only see one solution, but it doesn't connect all the dots. They draw a box connecting the outside dots which seem to make up a "border."
The only way to connect all 9 is to actually extend the lines outside the dots. There is no border in the instructions.
TWI did try to use this test to make a point to The Way Corps of "thinking outside the box."
I started a thread some time ago which addresses the issue, titled "The Nine Dots of Nonsense" or something like that. It's an interesting read, but I don't know where it is these days.
There are several other solutions for the puzzle when not given the 4 line directive. It is possible to do it in 3 lines as well, but again, must be done outside the "box."
if anyone ever REALLY went out of the nine dots in the way, they would have been reproved, screamed at, accused of being off the word , for starters. Independent thinking was NOT the way lifestyle.
The exception was if you were an outgoing, 'salesman' type who could figure out creative ways to coerce people to sign those green cards. Then thinking outside the nine dots was a wonderful thing.
On further reflection, we existed solely to bring fresh meat to their table. The way could have cared less about individual lives, apart from being good sales tools to bring more in.
The "nine dots" puzzle was used in a Corps teaching to illustrate that it takes innovative thinking to move the Word.
Trouble is, TWI laid down a border for thought that a good Wayfer dared not cross. Buying into the doctrine meant putting up barriers against certain thought processes that would allow one to gain enough perspective to escape the constricted mentality of the cult.
Like a Greek tragedy, they got you to poke out your own eyes.
To have sat through and accepted (embraced, for some of us) 12 sessions of teaching which were directly opposite of what mainstream Christianity taught took an iconoclastic, slightly anarchistic, "think-outside-of-the-box" mentality.
For the Way to demand persons with that mindset to conform and adhere to its viewpoints, doctrine and dogma without question under the guise of "like-mindedness" was to demand abandonment of the very qualities that drew many of us to that organization.
It is foolish policy, and it dooms the Way to tiny insignificance.
9 dots - David, this made me wonder where the puzzle originally came from, as I couldn't remember the first time I'd heard it and today it's so commonly used. I found this link HERE looking online, scroll down and there's a quote from a Norman Vincent Peale column in 1969. Funny! Peale referred to the puzzle in his column, so it must have been going around then. Now I wonder where it came from originally.
All I know is I have learned in several different psychology classes that the puzzle has been used for several decades in cognitive psychological testing in order to measure insight and lateral thinking skills in determining giftedness.
well I would have to say, the nine dots meant not to look beyond sns tapes or way mag cause it woud stimulate (cognitve) thinking outside 9 dots.......
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johniam
I will hazard a guess. I once saw a brain teaser type thing in which you were shown 9 dots like so...
. . .
. . .
. . .
...and the object was to draw triangles in which lines touched the dots in such a way that the only way it was possible to do it was to extend the sides of the triangle beyond the square box suggested by the dots. It's possible that the phrase "think outside the box" may also have come from this.
The point of the brain teaser was to explore the idea that most people will just assume that they weren't supposed to draw anything outside the 9 dots even though nothing was stated to that effect.
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Catcup
The nine dots is a puzzle which measures the cognitive feature of insight and lateral thinking in psychological tests.
The dots are arranged similar to the following pattern, but more along the lines of a square instead of a rectangle:
. . .
. . .
. . .
The subject is instructed to draw four straight lines, without lifting his pencil from the "paper," through all nine dots.
On first glance, most people only see one solution, but it doesn't connect all the dots. They draw a box connecting the outside dots which seem to make up a "border."
The only way to connect all 9 is to actually extend the lines outside the dots. There is no border in the instructions.
TWI did try to use this test to make a point to The Way Corps of "thinking outside the box."
I started a thread some time ago which addresses the issue, titled "The Nine Dots of Nonsense" or something like that. It's an interesting read, but I don't know where it is these days.
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dmiller
Found this from Google.
Now it makes sense.
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Catcup
Thanks!
That's the solution for the 4-line instruction.
There are several other solutions for the puzzle when not given the 4 line directive. It is possible to do it in 3 lines as well, but again, must be done outside the "box."
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hiway29
if anyone ever REALLY went out of the nine dots in the way, they would have been reproved, screamed at, accused of being off the word , for starters. Independent thinking was NOT the way lifestyle.
The exception was if you were an outgoing, 'salesman' type who could figure out creative ways to coerce people to sign those green cards. Then thinking outside the nine dots was a wonderful thing.
On further reflection, we existed solely to bring fresh meat to their table. The way could have cared less about individual lives, apart from being good sales tools to bring more in.
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Catcup
The "nine dots" puzzle was used in a Corps teaching to illustrate that it takes innovative thinking to move the Word.
Trouble is, TWI laid down a border for thought that a good Wayfer dared not cross. Buying into the doctrine meant putting up barriers against certain thought processes that would allow one to gain enough perspective to escape the constricted mentality of the cult.
Like a Greek tragedy, they got you to poke out your own eyes.
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Kevlar2000
It's ironic.
To have sat through and accepted (embraced, for some of us) 12 sessions of teaching which were directly opposite of what mainstream Christianity taught took an iconoclastic, slightly anarchistic, "think-outside-of-the-box" mentality.
For the Way to demand persons with that mindset to conform and adhere to its viewpoints, doctrine and dogma without question under the guise of "like-mindedness" was to demand abandonment of the very qualities that drew many of us to that organization.
It is foolish policy, and it dooms the Way to tiny insignificance.
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socks
9 dots - David, this made me wonder where the puzzle originally came from, as I couldn't remember the first time I'd heard it and today it's so commonly used. I found this link HERE looking online, scroll down and there's a quote from a Norman Vincent Peale column in 1969. Funny! Peale referred to the puzzle in his column, so it must have been going around then. Now I wonder where it came from originally.
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Catcup
All I know is I have learned in several different psychology classes that the puzzle has been used for several decades in cognitive psychological testing in order to measure insight and lateral thinking skills in determining giftedness.
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likeaneagle
well I would have to say, the nine dots meant not to look beyond sns tapes or way mag cause it woud stimulate (cognitve) thinking outside 9 dots.......
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dmiller
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Catcup
Good one.
Now, figure this one out"
It is possible to connect all the dots with one stroke...
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