The figurative phrases we use to communicate abstract ideas deserve a critical and humorous analysis. They have the power to remind us of how many things we’ve simply made up for our own benefit and evolution.

We’ve all heard “think outside the box” at some point in our academic or social lives. This concept is said too often and without much thought because it’s the norm to tell someone to think outside the box when they need to conjure up creative ideas. Though cliché and figurative, the idea of being able to think outside the interesting box is what’s puzzling.

First of all, what box?

Who started this box thing and why is it a box in the first place?

A circle would work too, right?

Apart from the humor, thinking outside the box is an idea in-and-of-itself, so to tell someone with absolute conviction that they need to “think outside the box,” is ridiculous. Whether you think inside or outside the box you’re still, in fact, thinking inside a box that’s outside the box you are in. It’s as if you automatically switch from going inside and outside the box when someone tells you to think in such a way.  I sometimes wonder what’s outside the box and why I can’t think of it while I’m inside my box.

Humorous and philosophical questions such as these should permeate our daily conversations. It’s hilarious that we say these phrases to each other without realizing what they mean when applied literally.

Next time someone tells you to “think outside the box” or “be open minded,” it’s a good idea to joke around with the idiom they use by asking silly, but provoking questions. A few suggestions are: “What box are you talking about; I have a lot?” or, “If I open my mind, how can I close it again?” and my personal favorite, “Is that so?” Questioning is a basis for learning and every day is a learning experience.

The amazing part of this story is: we still understand what people mean when they say these phrases, in context to our culture and language. Reading words and understanding them subjectively through constructed ideas is a good example of how interesting words and phrases really are.

It’s almost mind-blowing to think and know someone made this up so that he or she could communicate or express themselves with others efficiently. Without getting into too much linguistics, it’s amazing to look at words and phrases from a different perspective. Whether you choose to question, humor or switch them for any reason, the fact we made them up should tickle anyone’s fancy.