10 lateral thinking questions as brain teasers for teams

Test your team’s lateral thinking skills with these ten brain-teaser questions. Let your team ask questions to get on the right track. The results may surprise you…

a light bulb as a symbol for lateral thinking questions

Question 1:

Press + to show the answer

ANSWER: The man has dwarfism.

Question 2:

ANSWER: The man suffers from bad hiccups. The barman didn’t hesitate to help and drew the gun in order to give him a shock. Since that worked instantly, the water was no longer necessary. 

Question 3:

ANSWER: He was standing on a large block of ice which melted.

Question 4:

ANSWER: Three men were stranded on a desert island with no food. To survive, they agreed to amputate their left arms and eat them. They each swore an oath to do this. Since one of them was a doctor, he cut off the arms of the other two men. They were finally rescued, but the oath was still binding, so the doctor had to have his arm amputated and sent to his companions..

Question 5:

ANSWER: He is playing a game of monopoly.

Question 6:

ANSWER: His horse’s name is Friday.

Question 7:

ANSWER: Mike is a kid, and his mom puts on the seatbelt.

Question 8:

ANSWER: First thing to light is the match.

Question 9:

ANSWER: The woman gave birth to two sets of triplets.

Question 10:

ANSWER: You better not bury any survivors!!!

What are lateral thinking questions?

Lateral thinking is a term coined by Edward de Bono. It refers to a way of thinking that is different from the traditional, logical way of thinking.

In general, lateral thinking is seen as more creative and open-minded, and it is often used to solve problems that cannot be solved by traditional thinking. Especially for people not used to it, this kind of thinking can be quite challenging, since it deviates from deeply internalized thinking patterns.

Lateral thinking is based on the idea that the best way to solve a problem is to look at it from a different angle. To do this, lateral thinkers use a variety of techniques, such as brainstorming, asking questions, and looking at the problem from different perspectives. It is an important skill for anyone who wants to be more creative, open-minded and effective when it comes to solving problems.

It can be used in a variety of situations:

  • you’re trying to come up with a new idea
  • you’re stuck in a rut
  • you need to find a new solution to a problem

And here comes the good news: Lateral thinking can be trained and will improve over time. Allowing your brain to take other routes than the ones already taken is a process, and it will become a habit if done regularly.

Interesting reads:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/phillewis1/2020/03/20/the-most-valuable-skill-in-difficult-times-is-lateral-thinking-heres-how-to-do-it/?sh=3a5a948b57a9

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/neuroscience/lateral-thinking

Lateral thinking questions FAQs

A lateral thinking question requires the recipient to “think outside the box”. Answering those questions usually forces a creative thinking process rather than a logical.

A Lateral Thinker is a person who is able to tackle a problem with creativity rather than logic. This thought process is usually very individual and rarely follows a pattern.

An example of lateral thinking is to challenge the first idea that comes up while thinking about a problem. E.g.: You are gaining weight. Instead of thinking “I really need to go on a diet” you could think  “I need to incorporate more exercise in my daily routine”.