The Tale Of Two Pebbles

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Deleted member 30

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Read this last night and its been on my mind today. I thought it's worth sharing.

The Tale Of Two Pebbles by Edward de Bono

https://debonoconsulting.com/resources/free-article-and-best-practices/

Many years ago in a small Indian village, a farmer had the misfortune of owing a large sum of money to a village moneylender. The moneylender, who was old and ugly, fancied the farmer’s beautiful daughter. So he proposed a bargain.

He said he would forgo the farmer’s debt if he could marry his daughter. Both the farmer and his daughter were horrified by the proposal. So the cunning money-lender suggested that they let providence decide the matter. He told them that he would put a black pebble and a white pebble into an empty money bag. Then the girl would have to pick one pebble from the bag.

  1. If she picked the black pebble, she would become his wife and her father’s debt would be forgiven.
  2. If she picked the white pebble she need not marry him and her father’s debt would still be forgiven.
  3. If she refused to pick a pebble, her father would be thrown into jail.
They were standing on a pebble strewn path in the farmer’s field. As they talked, the moneylender bent over to pick up two pebbles. As he picked them up, the sharp-eyed girl noticed that he had picked up two black pebbles and put them into the bag. He then asked the girl to pick a pebble from the bag.

Now, imagine that you were standing in the field. What would you have done if you were the girl? If you had to advise her, what would you have told her?

Careful analysis would produce three possibilities:

  1. The girl should refuse to take a pebble.
  2. The girl should know that there were two black pebbles in the bag and expose the money-lender as a cheat.
  3. The girl should pick a black pebble and sacrifice herself in order to save her father from his debt and imprisonment.
Take a moment to ponder this.

The above story is used with the hope that it will make us appreciate the difference between Lateral Thinking and logical thinking.

The girl’s dilemma cannot be solved with traditional logical thinking. Think of the consequences if she chooses the above logical answers.

What would you recommend that the girl do?

The girl put her hand into the moneybag and drew out a pebble.

Without looking at it, she fumbled and let it fall onto the pebble-strewn path where it immediately became lost among all the other pebbles.

“Oh, how clumsy of me!” she said. “But never mind, if you look into the bag for the one that is left, you will be able to tell which pebble I picked.”

Since the remaining pebble is black, it must be assumed that she had picked the white one.

And since the money-lender dared not admit his dishonesty, the girl changed what seemed an impossible situation into an extremely advantageous one.

The girl looked beyond the obvious to find a solution in a way that wouldn’t initially come to mind.

This is just one example of the power of Lateral Thinking.
 

Lord Fatboy

Forgo Mud !
Interesting.
Lady Fatboy and I had a discussion about lateral thinking yesterday - she had never heard of De Bono's "Marmite Solution" for peace in the Middle East.

For the above, I'd recommend some sort of payment plan before taking part in such a risky venture, but I'm no fun.
 
D

Deleted member 30

Guest
I'm going to confess @Lord Fatboy I didn't know of the "Marmite Solution". I did have 'How to Have a Beautiful Mind' as an audio book and would listen to it as a I fell asleep. Some parts are not ingrained as other parts of the book.

I do have more of De Bono's books on my reading list, as I'm intrigued by his 'Six Thinking Hats' and how that way of thinking works.

I will look for the Marmite Solution for a read up.

Payment plan
:)
 

Gasman

Forum GOD!
I will say i enjoyed the story and outcome. These types of thinking are not in my grasp. I guess I could be taken advantage of in some situations. I just life with the fact I know right from wrong and do my best to make the right choices. Good enough for this guy. But truely a fine story.

I do audio books a lot in the truck, but Im afraid books on "thinking" might put me to sleep.
 
D

Deleted member 30

Guest
I will say i enjoyed the story and outcome. These types of thinking are not in my grasp. I guess I could be taken advantage of in some situations. I just life with the fact I know right from wrong and do my best to make the right choices. Good enough for this guy. But truely a fine story.

I do audio books a lot in the truck, but Im afraid books on "thinking" might put me to sleep.
I'm sure it is in your grasp, but like most people, the subject has to interest you enough for you to want to understand it. I have no interest in accountancy though I have to learn it. But no matter how many books, audio books and youtube videos I force myself to read, listen or watch I'm asleep within 5 minutes. :okay:
 

Mr Bigmem

Forum GOD!
I would advice the daughter to distract the moneylender so she could pick a white pebble from the road. Then to use slight of hand to palm the pebble and when putin her hand in the bag to bring it out with the white pebble.

1 she wins happy ending no marriage and no debt.
2 the moneymaker would have to expose himself a a cheat in order to tackle her trick

Lol I just went back and read the whole of the OP so she did something similar
 

Dr Watson

James
I've heard this before but it was a Chinese village that time! I would have thought the impoverished Father would be only too glad to be rid of her, not only is his debt wiped but he'll save a fortune on her dowry, she really should consider her poor old Dad here the selfish girl. What's the big problem? The money lender guy is old? He'll snuff it soon and she can inherit his property and wealth... Every cloud and all that.

:p:
 
D

Deleted member 30

Guest
I've heard this before but it was a Chinese village that time! I would have thought the impoverished Father would be only too glad to be rid of her, not only is his debt wiped but he'll save a fortune on her dowry, she really should consider her poor old Dad here the selfish girl. What's the big problem? The money lender guy is old? He'll snuff it soon and she can inherit his property and wealth... Every cloud and all that.

:p:
:giggle:
 

Gasman

Forum GOD!
Nice.
I've heard this before but it was a Chinese village that time! I would have thought the impoverished Father would be only too glad to be rid of her, not only is his debt wiped but he'll save a fortune on her dowry, she really should consider her poor old Dad here the selfish girl. What's the big problem? The money lender guy is old? He'll snuff it soon and she can inherit his property and wealth... Every cloud and all that.

:p:
 
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