<p>The idea is not to <strong>use</strong> lateral thinking to win the game, but to <strong>teach</strong> people to think laterally.</p>

<p>The <strong>L</strong> can be flipped and/or rotated as well as translated - why should you do a particular transform, and when. What move to make requires a certain amount of lateral thought.</p>

<p>Similarly in moving a neutral piece - not all the moves available are immediately obvious to a novice player - they must learn them.</p>

<p>By the time someone has mastered a few of the advanced moves, they are beginning to think laterally (at least that is the idea!).</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-06-09T19:41:40.930Z
But that sounds to me more like memorising some moves after a certain number of trial and errors.
Li Voon Loke
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2017-06-07T16:24:41.027Z
2017-06-07T16:24:41.027Z
JMP
<p>From the information I gathered about lateral thinking, it means to solve problems using unconventional means, sometimes even without using logic. Edward de Bono invented <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L_game" rel="nofollow noreferrer">the L-game</a> to illustrate lateral thinking. However, I fail to see how lateral thinking is used in solving the game. The L-game is essentially a very simplified version of Chess, both are strategy games and Chess is almost always the textbook example of logical games. In the analysis of the L-game, I found myself using purely logic (i.e. working backwards from the losing positions and identify which positions are "dangerous" etc). I do not see how "illogical means" could better help a player in winning the game. I might have misunderstood the meaning of lateral thinking, could anyone clarify?</p>

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2017-06-02T01:06:44.803Z
@LiVoonLoke this is now a great question! Thanks for improving it.
Seanny123
<cognitive-psychology><creativity>
How does the L-game by Edward de Bono demonstrate lateral thinking?
Li Voon Loke
# How does the L-game by Edward de Bono demonstrate lateral thinking?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2017-05-31)

From the information I gathered about lateral thinking, it means to solve problems using unconventional means, sometimes even without using logic. Edward de Bono invented [the L-game](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L_game) to illustrate lateral thinking. However, I fail to see how lateral thinking is used in solving the game. The L-game is essentially a very simplified version of Chess, both are strategy games and Chess is almost always the textbook example of logical games. In the analysis of the L-game, I found myself using purely logic (i.e. working backwards from the losing positions and identify which positions are "dangerous" etc). I do not see how "illogical means" could better help a player in winning the game. I might have misunderstood the meaning of lateral thinking, could anyone clarify?

**Tags:** cognitive-psychology, creativity

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: @LiVoonLoke this is now a great question! Thanks for improving it.  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2017-06-07. Score: 2

The idea is not to **use** lateral thinking to win the game, but to **teach** people to think laterally.

The **L** can be flipped and/or rotated as well as translated - why should you do a particular transform, and when. What move to make requires a certain amount of lateral thought.

Similarly in moving a neutral piece - not all the moves available are immediately obvious to a novice player - they must learn them.

By the time someone has mastered a few of the advanced moves, they are beginning to think laterally (at least that is the idea!).

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: But that sounds to me more like memorising some moves after a certain number of trial and errors.  

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