Edward de Bono introduced the term Lateral Thinking. Nowadays it is used quite commonly. Lateral thinking requires an open mind and you need to be very aware of hidden assumptions. It’s an important skill in finding different solutions than the obvious ones to all kinds of questions. Einstein even took it a level deeper:
The significant problems we have cannot be solved at the same level of thinking with which we created them.
- Albert Einstein (1879 - 1955)
Riddles are a good way to train your lateral thinking skills. Here’s a list of 21 riddles (Update: here’s 21 more)
- The strongest chains will not bind it
Ditch and rampart will not slow it down
A thousand soldiers cannot beat it
It can knock down trees with a single push - The one who made it
Didn’t want it
The one who bought it
Didn’t need it
The one who used it
Never saw it - Buckets, barrels, baskets, cans;
What must you fill with empty hands? - Five pieces of coal, a carrot and a scarf are lying on a hill near a
remote house. Nobody put them on the lawn but there is a perfectly
logical reason why they should be there. What is it? - Every creature in the world has seen it
But to their dying day they’ll never see
The same one again - Look in my face
I am somebody
Look at my back
I am nobody - A man leaves home and makes 3 left turns.
When he returns home he is met by two men
one of whom is wearing a mask. Who are they? - We love it more than life
We fear it more than death
The wealthy want for it
The poor have it in plenty - The light one breaks but never falls
His brother falls but never breaks - Which four letter sport begins with a ‘T’ ?
- Assume there are approximately 6,000,000,000 (6 billion) people on
Earth. What would you estimate to be the result, if you multiply
together the number of fingers on every person’s left-hands? (For the
purposes of this exercise, thumbs count as fingers, for five fingers
per hand.) If you cannot estimate the number then try to gues how long
the number would be. - An archeologist proudly told that he had found four silver coins which, according to the inscription “649 B.C.”, should now be 2720 years old. The press considered him a fraud and a dreamer. Why?
- He got it in the woods
And brought it home in his hand
Because he couldn’t find it.
The more he looked for it
The more he felt it. When he
finally found it he threw it away. - This wondrous thing, though not
An herb, can help comfort the weak
And the dying. It can even be used to
Rally the troops, or make one start
Laughing or crying - A New York city hairdresser recently said that he would rather cut the hair of three Canadians than one New Yorker. Why?
- This sparkling globe
Can float on water
And weighs no more
Than a feather
Yet despite its weight
Ten giants could
Never pick it up - How could a baby fall out of a twenty-story building onto the ground and live?
- Whoever has it is angry
Whoever loses it is even angrier
Whoever wins it has it no more - This engulfing thing
Is strange indeed
The greater it grows
The less you see - It can pierce the best armor
And make swords crumble with a rub
Yet for all its power
It can’t harm a club - Today he is there to trip you up
And he will torture you tomorrow
Yet he is also there to ease the pain
When you are lost in grief and sorrow
Please post your answers in the comments. I’m sure you’ll be able to solve all of them 
Warning: If you scroll down from here, there are answers and spoilers in the comments!
Numbers 7, 10 and 12 are from Creative Puzzles
Numbers 4, 11 and 15 are from Lateral Thinking Problems
Visit their sites for a lot more riddles.
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You can be an Original too!
Sjefke
Sat 2007.06.09
Hi Lodewijk,
Found you through PickTheBrain. Here are some of my answers:
1: Wind
5: Light of life
2: Coffin
3: Handcuffs\gloves
4: The Snowman died
6: Mirror
7: Himself and his alter ego
8: The simple life
9:
10:
11: “multiply together” - is that English for adding? It would be 30 Billion left-hand fingers.
12: “Before” Christ….
13: Solitude
14: Belief\hope\faith
15: New Yorkers don’t sit still\they keep talking
16: Sun
17:
18:
19: Darkness
20:
21:
Matt
Wed 2007.06.27
9. A Fuse
10. Golf. It begins with a tee, then a ball.
15. He’d get more money.
16. A bubble
Lodewijkvdb
Wed 2007.06.27
There are a total of 10 correct answers in the comments above. Thanks guys for taking the time to post answers!
Multiplying together is not the same as adding.
Multiplying = * , Adding = +
If you adding was the question, you’d be correct…give or take a couple of thousand
Charlotte
Tue 2007.07.03
11. Zero. It would only take one person to have no fingers on their left hand to make it zero as anything multiplied by 0 is 0 and many have lost fingers.
16. Air/oxygen/love
17. The building was underground with the 20th floor at ground level. He had a parachute. He was a baby bird and could fly.
18. Temper
20. My singing
21. self confidence?
Swanee
Thu 2007.07.05
5. Snowflake
7. Catcher, umpire
13. Tick
20. Rust
Drew
Thu 2007.07.05
I got all but three:
1) Wind.
2) A coffin.
3) Gloves.
4) A snowman melted.
5) The sunrise/sunset.
6) A coin.
7) The catcher and umpire. (Incidentally, the umpire at home would also be wearing a mask.
9)
10) Golf.
11) Zero.
12) In 649 B.C, no one knew it was 649 B.C, so no one would have put it on a coin.
13) A splinter.
14) A speech.
15) You would make more money off of three people than you would one.
16) A bubble.
17) The baby fell from the ground floor of a twenty story building.
18) A temper.
19) Darkness.
20) Rust.
21)
Lodewijkvdb
Thu 2007.07.05
Hey guys, thanks for all the answers. You sure are a creative bunch, some of the answers are not the same as the original ones but creative enough to be correct.
@Charlotte: You are so close with 17. LOL @ 20
@Swanee: 5 is not the original answer, as is 13. But they both could be true.
@Drew: You sure got a lot of them! You’re closer than you think with the answer to question 8 (as is Sjefke).
shawn
Thu 2007.07.05
1) Wind
Nothing
2) coffin
3) Gloves
4) A snowman
5) sunrise
6) mirror
7) The catcher and umpire.
9) light switch/fuse
10) Golf.
11) 1. 1×1x1×1x1×1x1×1x1×1x1×1x1×1
12) no one knew it was BC
13) splinter
14) words
15) 3 people is more money
16) bubble
17) fell from ground floor of building
18) temper
19) Darkness
20) Rust
21) mind
Lodewijkvdb
Thu 2007.07.05
It surprises me that no-one has 21 correct yet. I thought that was an easy one, but maybe that says something about me.
Shawn, your reasoning for 11 surprised me. If you like at it like that, one would be the correct answer indeed. But it was not intended that way.
And Temper to 18 was not what I had in mind, it’s close though.
menotu3169
Fri 2007.07.06
The way I understand number 11 is that the first person has 5 fingers, the second does as well. Multiply them together you get 25. A third person has 5 fingers, multiplied by the 25 from the first two and we have 125 . . . . et cetera.
The answer, as i see it, would be 5^6,000,000,000, which is one huge number
Lodewijkvdb
Fri 2007.07.06
That’s pretty straightforward indeed, but then again these riddles are for lateral thinking
Kitwench
Fri 2007.07.06
21. Time
Chris B. Behrens
Fri 2007.07.06
14. Music
18. An argument
21. Forgetfulness
Lodewijkvdb
Fri 2007.07.06
More correct answers…but still 21 is left unanswered.
Amanda
Fri 2007.07.06
21. Ego
Scott
Fri 2007.07.06
1. Wind
2. A coffin
3. Gloves
4. A snowman melted
5. Sunrise/sunset/(birth?)/(a day?)
6. A mirror
7. The catcher and umpire
8. Nothing
9. Day/Night
10. Golf
11. 0
12. No one knew it was B.C. until after the fact…
13. A splinter
14. Faith
15. He gets 3x the money
16. A bubble
17. He fell from the ground floor
18. Temper
19. Darkness
20. Rust
21. Several for this one…rope could be one (it can trip you, you can be bound and tortured with it, and you can hang yourself if overcome with sorrow) but forgetfulness seems more appropriate. Some have suggested self confidence, and I guess it could work. All three seem plausible to me, though.
ANyway, I think this should be all of them…
Scott
Fri 2007.07.06
Oh wait…is 21 booze/alcohol? it doesn’t fit the second line though…
Dean
Fri 2007.07.06
“Oh wait…is 21 booze/alcohol? it doesn’t fit the second line though…”
Hangover?
Scott
Fri 2007.07.06
For some reason my answers won’t post
John Ellis
Fri 2007.07.06
1: Wind
2: Coffin
3: gloves
4: The Snowman died
5: Sunrise - sunset
6: Mirror/coin
7: The catcher and umpire.
8: The simple life
9: light switch/fuse
10: Golf. It begins with a tee.
11: 25 or Zero. It would only take one person to have no fingers on their left hand to make it zero as anything multiplied by 0 is 0 and many have lost fingers.
12: “Before” Christ…. Did not exist then
13: A splinter.
14: Words
15: He would make more money.
16: A water bubble
17: In a cartoon; use an elevator
18: Temper / argument
19: Darkness
20: A mother bear
21: Time
dgupta66
Mon 2007.07.09
1-4 i accidently looked at the answers
5. morning, moment, day, sunrise/set…etc
6. picture, nametag
7. couldnt get it so i looked
8. nothing
9. working and not working circuit, or something related
10.”team” sports
11.5^6 billion seems too obvious
12.felt stupid when i read the answer
13. aging, youth
14. love
15. more money
16. bubble
17. in a dream, falls from the first couple steps of the stairs of the first floor
18. war
19. ego
20. rust
21. time, friends, siblings
i know im reposting some, but i only looked at the ones i couldnt figure out
rubal
Mon 2007.07.09
6) i think this is a mirror
John
Mon 2007.07.09
21) Jack Daniels?
Michael
Tue 2007.07.10
1) Chuck Norris
Chuck Norris
2) Chuck Norris
3) Chuck Norris
4) Chuck Norris
5) Chuck Norris
6) Chuck Norris
7) Chuck Norris
9) Chuck Norris
10) Chuck Norris
11) Chuck Norris
12) Chuck Norris
13) Chuck Norris
14) Chuck Norris
15) Chuck Norris
16) Chuck Norris
17) Chuck Norris
18) Chuck Norris
19) Chuck Norris
20) Chuck Norris
21) Chuck Norris
Sean
Wed 2007.07.11
I think 21 is memory.
Jimmy
Wed 2007.07.11
For 5. I’ve heard snowflake, sunrise, sunset. That’s wrong. The question says “every creature on earth has seen this”, well what about deep sea fish where it’s completely dark, or spiders that live in basements and never come out, and I’m guessing most lions haven’t seen a snowflake. What a bollocks riddle.
BT
Wed 2007.07.11
I think 5 is the earth/soil. Everything that’s lived has seen it, but once we die, we are buried in it, and never see it the same way again. Or even if something is not buried, it eventually becomes dust, a part of the earth, and therefore seeing it differently.
Either that or a moment in time. Once we die, we no longer see that. And, depending on your view of the afterlife, some say a moment is like 1000 years in heaven.
I’m not satisfied with anyone’s answers for 21. I would guess addiction, but that’s pushing it…
sunny
Wed 2007.07.11
Arrrgh! I’ve got them all, but what about 21??? I can’t stand it!
sunny
Wed 2007.07.11
OHHH! Is 21 MEMORY? (or, memories?) I know my memory “trips me up” sometimes
and one can be tortured by memories, and…yes, comfort, etc–okay! that’s my vote for #21!!!
xoxosbt
Thu 2007.07.12
I think Scott and Dean got it right. 21 is definitely alcohol.
creamberry
Thu 2007.07.12
1)wind/lightning
4)frosty died
6)mirror
11)5^6,000,000,000
12)people dont know in how many years christ will come
13)splinter
14)words
15)because then he gets payed three times as much…
17)it’s a baby cat
19)light pollution/eye cancer/fog/mist/smoke/ANYTHING that grows and obscures vision..
20)any metal corrosive chemical
21)parents
Thomas
Thu 2007.07.12
1. The wind
2. A coffin
3. Gloves
4. The snowman melted
5. Birthday (you’ll never relive your 10th birthday for example)
6. A photograph or mirror
7. Umpire and catcher
8. Nothing
9. Day and night
10. Golf
11. Zero
12. The birth of Jesus could not be predicted beforehand
13. A thorn or a tick
14. Hope or music
15. He would get three times more money
16. The sun or a bubble
17. He fell from the bottom story
18. Argument
19. Darkness or a cataract
20. Rust
21. Alcohol
bob
Sun 2007.07.15
21. A trainer/coach?
Bruce Meyer
Sun 2007.07.15
My answers to those I didn’t get.
3. Pockets
5. Shadow.
11. One
14. Beer
16. The Suns reflection on the Horizon of the ocean.
19. Jealousy
20. Words
21. The Holy Spirit
22. Chuck Norris
Baby Jesus
Mon 2007.07.16
On 5, im guessing birth… All creatures doesnt live to be more than a day but we are all born.
stilldreamin
Thu 2007.07.19
21: your thoughts
jojop0tato
Sat 2007.07.21
11 is not 5^6,000,000,000 as many have suggested…
Its zero.
All you need is one person on earth to have no fingers on his/her left hand and the answer becomes zero.
PS:21) is it love?
Dani
Sat 2007.07.21
Maybe number 21 is laughter? It’s torturous if someone is laughing at you but if you’re upset, laughter makes you feel better…
Jade
Sun 2007.07.22
21. Id?
Andre
Mon 2007.07.23
Umm number 5.) is yesterday
THINKing » Creative Thinking
Mon 2007.07.23
[…] Lateral Thinking […]
Lodewijkvdb
Tue 2007.07.24
Wow! I just got back from holidays and it’s great to see so much response
@Scott: Akismet caught your answers as spam, I de-spammed it and it now shows. You did very well with your answers (including the extra comment).
@John Ellis: Nice find for 8 (simple life), yet I doubt that the poor have a simple life. The main thing about money is that you mustn’t have too little, that makes life very complicating.
@dgupta66: No need to feel stupid, these riddles are supposed to challenge your thinking. And amidst hard riddles, the obvious answers are often overlooked.
@Michael: LOL! I hope that Chuck Norris is not the answer to everything for you
@Jimmy: True, blind creature can never see it, yet no-one ever sees this in the literal sense.
@Thomas: Those are all correct (although 5 is a variation of the original answer)
There are a lot of creative answers to the riddles, which I enjoyed very much. Thanks a lot all of you, I’ll post some new riddles soon.
My Get Things Done List » Blog Archive » Slowly getting back into the groove again [How to be an Original]
Thu 2007.07.26
[…] two weeks! Visitor numbers skyrocketed this month (over 20k visitors already), as my post with the 21 riddles got a lot of attention from StumbleUpon. The comment count is now greater than the post count […]
My Get Things Done List » Blog Archive » 21 more riddles to train lateral thinking [How to be an Original]
Sun 2007.07.29
[…] previous post with riddles turned out to be my most popular post so far. In the meantime all the riddles have been solved, so […]
Spoiler guy
Sun 2007.09.23
You snagged a bunch of these verbatim from an old game named Betrayal at Krondor. I have one for you tho… three Men on a boat in the middle of the ocean with four cigarettes among them and nothing else but the clothes on their backs. No lenses, matches, or anything else that you could start a fire with conventionally. Somehow all of them smoked though. How did they do it?
don’t scroll down unless you want the answer ruined for you or you have a guess.
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They threw one cigarette from the boat and made the boat a “cigarette lighter”.
Lodewijkvdb
Mon 2007.09.24
Hi Spoiler Guy,
I have played a lot of games when I was young. But I don’t think I ever played Betrayal at Krondor. I love the books of Raymond E. Feist by the way (assuming that the game has to do with his books…). A part of these riddles come from a game called Robin Hood if I remember correctly. You had to open chests with them.
Thanks for your riddle by the way. I totally love it, but failed to solve it.
Improve Your Lateral Thinking • Griffin & Hoxie
Sat 2007.10.27
[…] Twenty-one riddles to improve your lateral thinking. I suck at riddles. My mind starts making up stories when it gets stuck. You know, “what the sound of one hand clapping? Fuck if I know, but how come he has one hand. Like he was milking a cow one Fall day…” That sort of thing. […]
Girish Lakshminarayana
Thu 2007.11.22
went thru a few.. will attempt the rest when i have the time
1. wind
3. rings
4. snowman
6. mirror
8. how abt the word change?.. apply change in 2 different convenient meanings
9. shouldnt it be fall instead of fail?.. the answer day and night
10. golf
12. lol.. someone knew Christ was coming
Lodewijkvdb
Thu 2007.11.22
Hmm, you’re right about the fail -> fall.
I fixed it now.
Christine OKelly
Sun 2007.12.02
Thank you for these - I love riddles! I printed them out and will ponder them later… What a cool idea to post these on your blog…
Doc
Sun 2007.12.30
1. wind
2. coffin
3. your hands
4. A melted snowman
5. day of their birth
6. a footbal player named “nobody”
7. umpire/catcher
8. nothing
9. dawn/dusk
10. Golf
11. 0
12. BC is “before Christ” and since he wasnt born yet, they couldnt date the coins that way.
13. sliver
15. he makes more money cutting 3 heads vs. 1
16. reflection of the sun on water
17. fall out of the ground floor window, though it is not recommended to do so.
18. lawsuit against them
19. darkness
20. time
lucas
Mon 2008.03.31
1 wind
2 coffin
3 gloves
4 melted snowman
5 day
6 mirror
7 the catcher and umpire
8 nothing
9 dawn and dusk
10 golf
11 0
12 no one knew it was BC
13 splinter
14 talking
15 3times the money
16 a bubble
17 out the ground floor window
18 arguement
19 darkness
20 rust
21 alcohol