The U.S. space program faced a problem. Astronauts didn't have a pen that could write inside a zero gravity capsule. NASA invested upwards of $1 million to devise a pen that could.
Their rivals faced the same problem, but they solved it for less than a dollar.
They decided to use a pencil.
This story is emblematic of two styles of critical thinking and problem solving. America defined its quandary as a “pen” problem. “Fix the pen” became the marching order.
Others defined the issue as a “writing” challenge, so alternatives were more likely to be considered and adopted.
Most people lose friends, happiness, and career opportunities because they employ inadequate thinking skills and allow biases, false beliefs, and superstitions to govern their behavior.
Even highly skilled professionals, such as physicians and attorneys are not immune from bad thinking and runaway emotions. They can cost their clients fortunes and even their lives through poor advice and misdiagnoses.
This Uniqu