The origin of the metaphor of “thinking outside of the box” is probably associated with the “nine dots” puzzle, introduced in the 1970s. The goal of the puzzle is to link all nine dots using four straight lines or fewer, without lifting the pen/pencil and without tracing the same line more than once.

One solution appears below.

Here are a few of my thoughts about all this:

1. The quality of thinking determines the quality of the answer to the given question or the solution to the given problem.

2. Deductive and inductive reasoning cannot overcome ignorance.

3. I agree with Socrates: Knowing what we don’t know is the most valuable knowledge.

4. I agree with Thucydides: We tend to accept whatever confirms our premises, assumptions, and biases; we tend to reject what doesn’t.

5. Careless, undisciplined thinkers seldom produce anything of value, inside or outside of the box. Moreover, they are often preoccupied with the wrong “box.”

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One of many solutions to the puzzle at the beginning of this article is to go beyond the boundaries to link all dots in four straight lines.