#ThinkfullyHabit: Turn things upside down
How often do you consider the opposite of what you want to know? If you’re like most people, the answer is likely to be not very often.
The 19th century German mathematician Carl Jacobi was known for his ability to solve difficult problems by following a strategy of ‘man muss immer umkehren’ which means, “Invert, always invert.” If you haven’t yet heard of Carl Jacobi, it's worth taking a moment to acquaint with his ideas since he is widely considered to be one of the most inspiring teachers of his time and one of the greatest mathematicians in history.
Jacobi believed the solution to difficult problems could be better solved by re-stating the problem in inverse form, as a way to clarify thinking. He would write down the opposite of the problem he was trying to solve and would find that the solution often came to him more easily. So, next time you’re grappling with a problem, try turning things on their head to see if it reveals anything new.
“It is not enough to think about difficult problems one way. You need to think about them forwards and backward. ”
WHY?
Inversion forces you to think about problems in different ways. It helps to uncover hidden insights and improve understanding of the problem. By studying the opposite of what you want, you can identify important elements that aren't immediately obvious. Take the example of looking at your own face. You've done it a thousand times but if you ever look at yourself upside down, what is so familiar, suddenly isn't - new features will stand out. The ‘backward’ or 'upside down' way is complementary to the ‘forward way’. Inversion thinking helps gain a better overall picture of the problem simply by posing the problem in the opposite way. It can make you stop and look at something differently even if it's really familiar.
Charlie Munger took the lesson of inversion from Jacobi and introduced it to investors to find solutions to difficult problems. As Charlie Munger explains, Jacobi "knew that it is in the nature of things that many hard problems are best solved when they are addressed backward.”
The idea is simpler than it sounds.
First, define the problem you’re trying to solve.
Second, rephrase it. Ask, "What if the opposite was true?" Invert the problem. Often this involves expressing the idea in the negative e.g. ‘How should I not do it?’ For instance, If you want to be more innovative, ask how to be less innovative and then remove the barriers. If you want to understand why a third of people want something, understand why two-thirds don't. If you want to get more done, ask what are all the things that could slow you down and then spot these early if they happen.
Third, extract the helpful ideas.
Reversing a familiar thought process can lead to ideas that are not so obvious at first. It is in the inverted form that we tend to subtract and remove what gets in the way and allow ourselves to shed some new light.
Counter-intuitively, looking at things upside down may end up giving us far more clarity.
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