Inversion Thinking: Solving Problems by Reversing Them

Have you ever heard of inversion thinking – the process of reversing a problem in order to solve it? So often we are told, and believe,  that the only approach to take when solving a problem is to picture the desired outcome and then work back through all the steps needed to achieve it – the positive approach. But, the ancient Stoic philosophers, like Marcus Aurelius and Seneca, regularly did the opposite, conducting an exercise known as a premeditatio malorum,  Latin for ‘premeditation of evils.’ The goal of this exercise was to envision the negative things that could happen, believing that by imagining the worst-case scenarios ahead of time, they could make better plans to prevent them. 

One of the attributes of great thinkers and innovators is their ability to consider the opposite side of things.

While most people were focused on how they could achieve success, the Stoics also considered how they would avoid or manage failure. This way of thinking, known as inversion thinking, is a rare skill that can revolutionise problem solving. Inversion thinking forces you to consider aspects that are often not obvious at first glance by asking how not to do something, rather than how to do it. One of the attributes of great thinkers and innovators is their ability to consider the opposite side of things. An example of inversion thinking is “Success is overvalued – avoiding failure matters more.”

Sometimes it is more important to consider why people fail in life than why they succeed. Leaders can ask themselves, “What would someone do each day if they were a terrible manager?” and then do their best to avoid those things. Or, if innovation is a core piece of your business model, you can ask, “How could we make this company less innovative?” Eliminating those barriers and obstacles might help creative ideas arise more quickly. And every marketing department wants to attract new business, but it might be useful to ask, “What would alienate our core customer?” A different point of view can reveal surprising insights.

Inversion thinking is not about finding good advice, but rather about finding anti-advice. It teaches you what to avoid and shows you what you have been missing. It is a skill that enables a logical and rational life. It allows you to step outside your normal patterns of thought and see situations from a different angle, always a good thing. So, whatever problem you are facing, try considering the opposite side of things. It could just provide the solution you are missing.