Just Think

A grayscale illustration of a brain inside a thin black square occupies the top third of the image. Blue text covers the remaining space, all on a baby blue background.

The expression “think outside the box” means to think creatively, outside of the bounds of traditional orthodox methods. It first started to gain significant use in the 1960s and 1970s, especially in the business world, but its eventual overuse transformed it largely into a cliché. The expression is believed to have its ultimate origins in the 1914 puzzle book, Loyd's Cyclopedia of 5000 Puzzles, Tricks, and Conundrums (With Answers). The ‘Nine Dots Puzzle’ contains a square of nine dots, and asks the player to connect all these dots using only four straight lines. In order for this to be accomplished, the player’s lines have to extend beyond the confines of the dotted box.