Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.
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The Bathtub Test
During a visit to the mental asylum, a visitor asked the Director how do you determine whether or not a patient should be institutionalized. “Well,” said the Director, “we fill up a bathtub, then we offer a teaspoon, a teacup and a bucket to the patient and ask him or her to empty the bathtub.”…
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Case Studies – Pricing Model
The below case studies is about the change in consumers thought process when alternatives are given which make them think irrationally Case study 1 – Economist Subscription An ad for an Economist subscription gave 3 options 1. Print only for $59 2. Web subscription only access for $125 3. …
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Management Lesson – Compete against the situation not the rival
Once upon a time a tortoise and a hare had an argument about who was faster. They decided to settle the argument with a race. They agreed on a route and started off the race. The hare shot ahead and ran briskly for some time. Then seeing that he was far ahead of the tortoise, he thought he’d…
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Management lesson – Mind Your Language
There were these 4 guys, a Russian, a German, an American and a French, who found this small genie bottle. When they rubbed the bottle, a genie appears. Thankful that the 4 guys had released him out of the bottle, he said, “Next to you all are 4 swimming pools, I will give each of…
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Management lesson – Never jump to conclusion without knowing the facts
Never ever jump to conclusion without knowing facts. The amazing video video below explains why…
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Management lesson – Share critical information with stakeholder
A man is getting into the shower just as his wife is finishing up her shower when the doorbell rings. After a few seconds of arguing over which one should go and answer the doorbell, the wife gives up, quickly wraps herself up in a towel and runs downstairs. When she opens the door, there…
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Lateral Thinking – General Motors (Pontiac Division) and Vanilla Ice Cream
A complaint was received by the Pontiac Division of General Motors ‘This is the second time I have written to you, and I don’t blame you for not answering me, because I sounded crazy, but it is a fact that we have a tradition in our family of Ice-Cream for dessert after dinner each night,…
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Lateral Thinking – Money lender and pebbles
Many years ago in a small village, a farmer had the misfortune of owing a large sum of money to a village moneylender. The Moneylender , who was old and ugly, fancied the farmer’s beautiful daughter. So he proposed a bargain. He said he would forgive the farmer’s debt if he could marry his daughter. Both…
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Focusing on solutions and not problems
Problem When NASA began the launch of astronauts into space, they found out that the pens wouldn’t work at zero gravity (ink won’t flow down to the writing surface). To solve this problem, it took them one decade and $12 million. They developed a pen that worked at zero gravity, upside down, underwater, in practically…
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Insight into Decision Making
A group of children were playing near two railway tracks, one still in use while the other disused. Only one child played on the disused track, the rest on the operational track. The train is coming, and you are just beside the track interchange. a) You can make the train change its course to the…
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