"Does it seem that people who talk about thinking outside the box want it the least?

They want you to think outside the box of pop culture, as long as it’s within their own private little box of job insecurity.

I do not. I’ve spent my whole career trying to do out-of-the-box work for each of these types, plus clients, heard that phrase a million times and discovered that rarely—rarely!—do these people want push-the-envelope thinkingand solutions. What they want is the security of what’s been already done.

@Austinlad Wait, so the more they talk about outside the box, the less they want it?

I think you misread part of my question, and actually agree with the statement. I think.

@RealEyesRealizeRealLies So more of a “don’t think inside the box, think inside my box” situation?

When it comes to some people’s jobs, that’s just a line they have to use and they want you to think outside the box as long as it saves them money but not when you’re criticizing anything, remotely.

burn the box. there was nothing inside worth saving anyway.

overused phrase…almost everyone at some point, thinks outside the box. called survival of the fittest!

I do agree with your statement, @papayalily. Most of my clients ask for outside-the-box” work but usually ind up not approving it.

That’s right @Austinlad. I’ve had the same experience.

I used to photograph for the pro indoor soccer team in St. Louis. An off season sport with a very shallow following of about 7000 people attending on any given night. Not very popular compared with most pro sports.

One day the owner approached me and asked, “What could we do to get more attendance”?

Jokingly, I said, “Well, you’d probably pack the house if the team played naked and could pummel the opposing team with spiked clubs.”

He looked at me in shock. I said, “OK I know that not realistic, but it would pack the house nonetheless. How about at least dressing your players in ballerina uniforms”?

Neither of my suggestions were heeded. The team went out of business the next season.

@Austinlad its my fault, I phrased it as one of those “do you mind if I have a smoke” “yes” “yes you mind or yes I can smoke”

Where I used to work it was a catch phrase that really meant “We’re not going to give you any more funding but we want you to figure out a way to make this new, ridiculous and completely unrealistic thing happen. We came up with the stupid idea, you need to fgure out a way to have it done. Before Friday.”

Much lip service is paid to divergent, creative thinking, especially by people least likely to accept or support any ideas likely to be generated by such qualities of thought.

They want something different that their own minds cannot conceive. However, there are some who live outside the box and think that the insides (of the box) is too constrictive for thinking.

On the other hand, there is the thin edge of the box where indecision lives and some people constantly bounce between uncertain ideals. The manager wants you to think outside the box because he (or she) wants you to be more interactive rather than just a slave to mind-numbing thought patterns.

I think my box is faulty, where can I get another one? Can I get a refund?