[Book Sip] When Facing Difficult Problems, Try 'Flip Thinking'

Editor's NoteSome sentences encapsulate the entire content of a book, while others instantly resonate with the reader, creating a connection with the book. We excerpt and introduce such meaningful sentences from books.

When faced with a complex problem that only gets more tangled the harder you try to solve it, the world-renowned business communication expert recommends 'Flip Thinking.' Flip Thinking means looking at a crisis from a different perspective and finding positive possibilities to devise new solutions that did not exist before. The author advises that by effectively using Flip Thinking, problems you want to eliminate can be transformed into goals you want to achieve, introducing seven new ways of thinking. These include how to distinguish between solvable and unsolvable problems, criteria to judge whether a problem is the real issue, and habits to prevent problems from worsening.

This book contains content about shifting your thinking from 'Yes, but' to 'Yes, and.' It is a method of transitioning from problem-centered thinking to opportunity-centered thinking. Approaching problems with a positive mindset often makes finding new solutions surprisingly easy. Even looking at a problem from just a slightly different angle can yield tremendous insights, often without much effort. You don't always have to fight every problem you encounter. You just need to 'turn it into' an opportunity. It’s about bringing the problem onto your side. - From the Prologue, “Amazing Things That Happen When You Change to ‘Yes, and...’”

As you read this book, you may feel as if you have become a stage actor. Like playing a vivid role solving real-like problems in a very realistic play. This is your actual life. Such problems often help you find unexpected opportunities because they allow you to think in reverse. When problems arise, you may feel drained, but on the other hand, it becomes an opportunity to demonstrate your ability to respond more strongly, wisely, and enjoyably?that is, your creativity. - From “How to Use This Book: Read, Sleep, and Apply It the Next Day!”

This is the moment when awakening is hoped to occur. One of the core messages of this book is that our desire for change, good intentions, and even meticulous 'solutions' are factors that fix or even worsen problems. There are many cases where problems disappear when you stop trying to solve them. Acceptance is the foundation of Flip Thinking. - From Chapter 1, “Do We Have to Solve Every Problem?”

To use an analogy, we are like bees. Having information can actually hinder creative thinking. The more you think you know how to solve problems, the greater the risk of being trapped in a fixed mindset. Let’s reconsider the mystery introduced at the beginning of this chapter. A cleaner who was cleaning windows on the 61st floor fell but was unharmed. How could that be? The answer is that he was cleaning the inside of the window. - From Chapter 2, “There Are Problems Invisible to My Eyes”

Flip Thinking | Written by Berthold Gunster | Translated by Kim Dong-gyu | Sejong Books | 344 pages | 22,000 KRW