Know India TN Govt Online Chennai District STPI Chennai South India Incredible India Eco India Indian Music Indian Election Commission Indian Civil Service
Showing posts with label Lateral thinking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lateral thinking. Show all posts

Friday, August 1, 2008

Think before you act...


At the airport after a tiring business trip a lady's return flight was delayed. She went to the airport shop, bought a book, a coffee and a small packet containing five gingernut biscuits. The airport was crowded and she found a seat in the lounge, next to a stranger.

After a few minutes' reading she became absorbed in her book. She took a biscuit from the packet and began to drink her coffee. To her great surprise, the stranger in the next seat calmly took one of the biscuits and ate it.

Stunned, she couldn't bring herself to say anything, nor even to look at the stranger. Nervously she continued reading. After a few minutes she slowly picked up and ate the third biscuit. Incredibly, the stranger took the fourth gingernut and ate it, then to the woman's amazement, he picked up the packet and offered her the last biscuit.

This being too much to tolerate, the lady angrily picked up her belongings, gave the stranger an indignant scowl and marched off to the boarding gate, where her flight was now ready.
Flustered and enraged, she reached inside her bag for her boarding ticket, and found her unopened packet of gingernuts...

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Presumptions and prejudices....


I read this story on Presumptions and prejudices thought I would share it....

A party of suppliers was being given a tour of a mental hospital.One of the visitors had made some very insulting remarks about the patients.


After the tour the visitors were introduced to various members of staff in the canteen.The rude visitor chatted to one of the security staff, Bill, a kindly and wise ex-policeman.

"Are they all raving loonies in here then?" said the rude man.

"Only the ones who fail the test," said Bill.

"What's the test?" said the man.

"Well, we show them a bath full of water, a bucket, a jug and an egg-cup, and we ask them what's the quickest way to empty the bath," said Bill.

"Oh I see, simple - the normal ones know it's the bucket, right?"

"No actually," said Bill, "The normal ones say pull out the plug. Should I check when there's a bed free for you?"

The story illustrates lateral thinking, narrow-mindedness, the risks of making assumptions, and judging people and situations.