The New York Times Connections is a daily online word puzzle designed by puzzle maker Wyna Liu where players must group 16 words into four categories of four words each.
For instance, these 16 words:
Twist
Fan
Mint
Fab
Just
Only
Petit
Spread
Merely
Fantastic
Olive
Connect
Cherry
Simply
Radiate
Branch
Darren hates it.
And I love it. Like love, love it.
Players make a guess by selecting four words and submitting them; a correct guess removes the words, while an incorrect one counts as a mistake, and players have four mistakes before the game ends.
It’s the second-most-played game published by the Times, behind, of course, Wordle.
A Reddit user trying to explain Connections to a non-native English speaker who was struggling with the concept of the puzzle said this:
“You are doing it right, you are just falling for the herrings.
Here is a hint: look up all the words so you know their definitions. Wyna likes to grab a word that will mean two different things, put in three tiles that will match one definition and that definition will be wrong.
Typically she will also put in a row that will only make sense if you append or prepend the same word to all tiles. For example, sometimes it will be like misspellings of international cities that are also English nouns or something. Wyna is slippery like that.”
It’s part of what makes the game so challenging — and so fun.
But in that same thread someone else mentioned this, “It helps to think laterally, rather than relying solely on logic.”
What’s the difference?
Logical thinking narrows toward a conclusion.
Lateral thinking widens the field to find one.
Madeline Miles says lateral thinking can challenge our assumptions, widen our focus, and help us build new ways of thinking.
She offers 7 ways to do just that.
1. Recognize thought patterns.
Humans often get stuck in an anchoring bias: making judgments or decisions based on the first piece of information they receive. But lateral thinkers are often more aware of their thought patterns, meaning they can better prevent biases and reorganize information.
2. Ask why.
Asking why and how we use [certain] processes, even when things are going well, is a common creative approach in lateral thinking to challenge ideas and break cognitive biases.
3. Consider all the alternatives.
The logical outcome of problem-solving is to find the most efficient solution. Lateral thinking encourages us to purposefully set aside the “best” answer and brainstorm alternative approaches, regardless of how lofty they seem.
4. Invite external stimuli.
We may know what work environment best suits our critical thinking and concentration skills. While a steady environment may help our focus, it might also put us in a comfort zone that limits our creativity. Find new stimuli that encourage lateral thinking. Not every new method will be successful, but trying is part of innovating.
5. Reframe ideas.
During a brainstorming session, we’ll likely come up with good ideas that seem too complicated or hard to implement. Lateral thinking encourages us to take these ideas seriously rather than immediately dismissing them.
6. Try random entry.
Random entry introduces a random word or image to a brainstorming session. Even if it seems unrelated, try associating it with the problem at hand. The process of making those connections can help us come up with out-of-the-box ideas.
7. Mind mapping.
Mind maps are a common brainstorming technique that helps teams visualize problems to find more expansive ideas. Seeing everything together fosters more creative connections, and studies have shown that mind mapping helps people retain and develop information more effectively.
She goes on to say, “Lateral thinking skills give you the tools to be more creative and solve problems that you previously thought would stay problems.”
The Connections puzzle, of course, always rewards the player who can shift between the two — who can see the obvious solutions and still stay open to all kinds of possibilities.
So, what’s the answer for those 16 words above?
Emanate:
Branch, Fan, Radiate, Spread
In The Slightest:
Just, Merely, Only, Simply
Cocktail Garnishes:
Cherry, Mint, Olive, Twist
______ Four:
Connect, Fab, Fantastic, Petit
I can’t wait to hear where lateral thinking has helped you see something logic couldn’t. And if you’d like ideas for widening your view of a challenge, I’d love to help.
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PS If you liked this post – or any others, I’d love you to pass me and my work on to a friend. They can find out much more about me here if they’re interested!
