How to think 'outside the box'?

[fenz]

My piano teacher told me to think 'outside the box'. What is that mean? How to develop my critical thinking?

Thanks for your help,
fenz

[keyboardclass]

It means allow your imagination to suggest stuff to you.

[gyzzzmo]

It means forcing yourself to aproach things (problems, music etc) from another angle (other perspective) than you normally would.

[birba]

Though these two opinions might be of help, I would ask your teacher to elucidate. 

[keyboardclass]

Elucidating will not get you out of the box, just go for it!

[birba]

You sound like the zen master who has solved the riddle! 

[keyboardclass]

Certainly Grasshopper.

[birba]

Definitely zen.

[Bob]

Kind of sounds cliche.  Everyone is supposed to think outside the box now.

[gyzzzmo]

Kind of sounds cliche.  Everyone is supposed to think outside the box now.

....so 'outside the box' now means that should do what you get inspired to do first?

[Bob]

Everyone says think outside the box.  It's being said too much.  It doesn't mean that much, esp if everyone else is also thinking outside the box.  In that case, thinking inside the box, far, far inside, might be the revolutionary thing to do.

And no one will care either way as long as you just get the job done. 

[birba]

And no one will care either way as long as you just get the job done. 

Another zen master!  Couldn't have been said better.
I'm probably dating myself, but this is  the first time I've heard the expression.   Clever.  But like you said, only until it becomes a cliché. 

[fenz]

In that case, thinking inside the box, far, far inside, might be the revolutionary thing to do.

how can i do it?

[birba]

you might try a little LSD...

[keyboardclass]

you might try a little LSD...

No, that just puts you in another box.

[Bob]

If everyone else is thinking outside the box, you can do something very traditional and straightforward.  Classic and traditional usually works well.  It's easier to plan.  It's had all the people go before you hammer out the path.  If everyone else is flailing around trying to do something new and failing, traditional looks very nice.

Or you could do something from another perspective -- possibility still being traditional when doing that, but doing something tradition from a different philosophy.  Take a different philosophy or do things the way a different culture does it.  That might not necessarily take a lot of extra work but could look revolutionary if no one around you is familiar with it.  Or I suppose it could look pretty stupid, but definitely outside the box.



"Do not try to think outside of the box — that's impossible. Instead, only try to realize the truth: there is no box."





"Dude.  Check it out... This kid just like totally mangled this non-existent spoon.  Narly.... I wish I had some non-existent soup for my spoon that's not here.  Or I could kill a man with a spoon, a spoon that's not there!  Muah!  Oh and that kid really needs a haircut."




The next time your teacher tells you to think out of the box, give him the mystic "There is no box" line.

[keyboardclass]

The next time your teacher tells you to think out of the box, give him the mystic "There is no box" line.

..or shave your hair off!

[birba]

Or strike him and scream "BOX!"

[Bob]

"I prefer to think outside the sphere, thank you."


I keep thinking one way to think outside the box....  Get out of the traditional once-a-week lesson format or get rid of the teacher.  I'm sure they would enjoy hearing that after telling someone to think outside the box.

[birba]

      

[keyofc]

If someone told me to think outside the  box and I didn't know what they wanted.

I would"

a.  ask them what kind of box they think I am in
b.   what kind of musical concepts are out of the box waiting for me?

if she/he won't help you - bring a cardboard box with you next time and keep it over your head and ask them 'how do I get out of this"


I am just trying to lighten my own day up here.

[lostinidlewonder]

To think outside of the box one has to realize how they got inside the box to begin with

[keyofc]

how true!

This could take up the whole lesson if they asked "how did I get here?"
 

I really would ask them because otherwise you're just going to be self concious
that you are in a box that only others can see and hear........