Doing the Un Twist

The Uns unscrew the inscrutable.  For example, there’s a story about a truck that started to drive under a bridge.  The truck was eighteen feet high and the sign said eighteen foot clearance.  As you can guess, the truck and the bridge had a disagreement about the definition of eighteen feet.  The bridge won

Imagine the shock on the face of the driver.  Imagine the traffic backing up.  The horns blowing.  The smell of diesel fumes. 

The lawyers from the trucking company suggest that the city should dismantle part of the bridge.  The city engineers suggest that the trucking company cut off the roof of the truck.  A boy rides up on his bicycle and offers a suggestion:  Let some air out of the tires.

We sum up that story in a slogan: “Don't raise the bridge, lower the river.”  The story has nothing to do with bridges or rivers.  But what do you expect?  We’re the Uns.

You may be able to link with the Uns whenever you please.  Or you may need a little practice.  A few unstretching exercises may help.  Unstretching is a lot like relaxing.  Except you try to get a laugh out of the problem.  Here’s a quick bag of tricks:

Really reversals.  What kind of person would like this problem?  A lawyer?  A novelist?  A comedian?  What would they see in the problem?  Put yourself in the place of someone like this.  Describe be problem.   Explain what is good about it.  Do it in front of a mirror.  With a straight face.

Extremophilia..  Cast your problem in a movie: “The Giant Problem that Ate New York.”  Imagine the Mayor, the General, and the Scientist talking about it.  “We have to stop it before…”  Cut to screaming crowds surging through the streets.  Now what were they screaming about?

Pomperosity.  Think of the most pompous and self-important person you know.  Imagine how that person would describe the problem.  “My friends, we are gathered here today to fix a problem.  A problem that looms over us like…”  Finish the speech.  In front of a mirror.  With all the stern dignity you can muster. 

Mulling Team
explores possibilities, examines alternatives, and develops options. 
Mulling: Main Players  
Mulling: Support Players

Know the Uns

Your Un

Aikido

Psychological set.  Also called expectancy. Context-sensitive mental processes that guide thinking in directions that fit the assumed context.  Most of the time, this guidance is useful because the thinking is appropriate for the assumed context. The guidance is generally seen as an obstacle where there is a need for creativity, originality, and problem-solving. Guidance from prior expectations is inherently opposed to originality.
Glossary

Unsetting  Here is a demonstration of set and breaking set.

Step 1: List as many white edible things as you can.