Collection
Reframing

Mental processes, just like physical ones, are subject to the force of inertia. Individuals, groups, and corporations fall naturally into fixed habits of thinking about certain issues so that alternatives are not only impossible, but literally unthinkable.

When circumstances change and the old solutions no longer work, decision-makers are liable to get "stuck": all the choices appear to be Hobson's choices. It is difficult to overcome the old ways of thinking, that have worked so well in the past, to generate new solutions.

This collection focuses on examples of "stuckness" and how solutions can emerge by questioning the unstated assumptions and reframing the issues. Sometimes the key to getting unstuck is to reassess priorities to identify the true goal. Other times, it is language itself that impedes reasoning so that reframing the same problem in different terms can produce breakthroughs.