Do You Think Outside the Box?

Question

Sure, you've heard the phrase before. But when it comes down to it, how innovative are you?

Answer 1

I love that you asked this question. I often tell people, "Not only do I think outside the box, I live at least a mile from the box".

Answer 2

"Innovative" is just another word for "risky". I subscribe to the "If it isn't broken, don't fix it" school of thought, but then determining if something is broken or not is subjective, isn't it?! The same is true of "thinking outside the box". If a person is opposed to change or something totally new because of lack of justification for it, they aren't considered to be "thinking outside the box". Oftentimes, it's those who can come up with an excuse (not a reason- an excuse) to change or introduce something and convince others that it's necessary who are considered "out of the box" thinkers. To me, what constitutes an "innovative" thinker depends on that individual's priorities in life. A former boss once asked me this question; "If a man has the potential to earn $10 million by retirement but only earns $5 million, was he a successful man?" I said, "Yes." He said I was wrong! I told him I disagreed based on the fact that if the man was happy with what he had then there is no failure. So, innovation, in my opinion, should be based on need, and everyone's needs are different!

Answer 3

Yes,
Very innovative...once I borrowed my then boyfriend/now hubbys vw rabbit (piece of crap!) that was always having alternator problems, and the battery wouldn't always charge normally. It was always a gamble to see if it would start due to this inconvenience. Of course I'm alone in the middle of no where and the entire "thing" breaks away from the brackets but is still connected by the "cables?" and is dangling on near the fan and engine. The engine is still running, (good) but I knew I shouldn't drive and have it bouncing around under the hood. I needed something to "secure" it. I had no rope, string, tool, or anything.....so IDEA!!!- I took off my BRA and strapped it up so i could make it home.....!!!!! You should have seen the look on my Grandpa's face! That was very INNOVATIVE, I thought.

Answer 4

I do think outside of the box. But I have learned what a fine line there is outside the box versus insanity. Some will argue, pick, etc. However, if what's inside the box isn't working, then we need to either look outside of the box, or dump that box and hand it back to the "in-box" thinkers who can refill it.

Answer 5

When it comes to work, I have no choice but to think outside the box. Sometimes that kind of thinking is what gets the job done. In my personal life, I think outside the box quite a bit. I was raised to be respectful to everyone until they gave me a reason to take that respect away. Once it is gone they play like heck to get it back. I have no reason to be a racist or to be prejudice to anyone when I don't know them. But let them get to know me and THEN screw me over and that's it. No respect for them and they'll be lucky to even get me to talk to them again!!!!!

Answer 6

it's late and i'm tired but i really enjoy trying to answer your questions...soozemusic's answer is wonderful...but I'll try to relate an innovative incident that my oldest sister still lauds to this day: I once owned an 87 grey Ford Taurus that was so badly rusted that it made your eyes bleed when you spotted it...by some quirky circumstance I managed to find duct tape with just the perfect shade of matching grey that was very hard to notice when applied...this helped to make the vehicle more bearable to drive for another two years or until it just fell apart...

Answer 7

I did not even know that there was a box until I was 30 and then I could never work out why anybody needed one.

Answer 8

Outside which box?

Answer 9

Sure, but lately someone taped the box shut.

Answer 10

Well I am a freethinker, hope that's innovative enough