Get Recognized for Thinking Outside the Box

Get Recognized for Thinking Outside the Box

From Actual Intelligence with Steve Pearlman by Steve Pearlman, Ph.D.

September 4, 2025 · 6 min

About this episode

The episode explores how the brain uses existing frameworks to tackle new problems and offers insights on thinking innovatively.

How does your brain tackle a new problem? Believe it or not, it tackles new problems by using old frameworks it created for similar problems you faced before. But if your brain is wired to use old frameworks for new problems, then isn’t that a problem? It is. And that’s why most people never think outside the box. So, how do you get your brain to think innovatively? Divergently? And outside the box, when others don’t? It’s easier than you think, but before we get to that, let’s be clear on something. When I talk about frameworks, I’m not speaking metaphorically. I’m speaking about the literal wiring of your brain, something neuropsychologists might refer to as “engrams,” and just one engram might be a network of millions of synapses. Think of these engrams as your brain’s quick-reference book for solving problems. For example, if your brain sees a small fire, it quickly finds the engrams that it has for fire. One engram might be to run out of the house. Another might be to pour water on the problem. Without these existing engrams, you might just stand there staring at the fire trying to figure out what to do. So, you should be thankful that your brain has these pre-existing…

People in this episode

Host: Steve Pearlman, Ph.D.

Topics covered

  • innovation
  • problem-solving
  • neuropsychology
  • thinking outside the box
  • cognitive frameworks

Keywords

  • engram
  • cognitive science
  • neuroscience
  • creativity
  • mental frameworks

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