Vertical thinking is a method of thinking in very linear, selective pathways. Each step is precise, necessary, and must be correct. Most of the time, vertical thinking must also follow a very straight path. In this method, there isn’t usually a way to diverge from the set thought process or skip steps in the pattern. Many psychologists say that vertical thinking is the opposite of lateral thinking. Lateral thinking can involve wrong answers, path divergence, and jumping from one step to another at random. Neither thinking method is right or wrong because there is a place for both, and both can be useful.
Most methods of vertical thinking are very useful in subjects like math and science. These subjects involve objective, precise truths that cannot necessarily be changed. For instance, someone solving the math problem (21 + 3 – 2 + 10 – 1) must think vertically. If he or she tries to solve this problem out of order, the answer will be wrong. Instead, the individual must add and subtract the numbers in order to get the correct answer of 31. The same is usually true for science because scientific concepts like chemicals, weather patterns, and body systems must fit together in a certain way for them to work, or be understood, properly.
Many musicians also engage in vertical thinking. This is usually necessary for someone trying to put together a musical arrangement, especially when several instruments and voices are involved. A vertical thinker can often picture how the different instruments will sound together and help them harmonize. This is not to say that a lateral thinker could not do this, it simply means a vertical thinker might be able to do it more quickly and easily. Conversely, many lyricists are lateral thinkers because their creative and provocative thinking methods help them compose interesting poetry.
Lateral thinking is often seen as the opposite of vertical thinking. People who usually think laterally may have a difficult time focusing on step-by-step tasks, but often come up with interesting solutions to thorny problems. For instance, a lateral thinker who cannot find an clothing iron may warm a cast iron pan on the stove and use that instead. A vertical thinker would probably borrow an iron from a neighbor or go purchase one. Neither solution is wrong, they are simply different. Both methods may also produce the desired result.
Sometimes it is best if vertical thinking and lateral thinking are combined. For instance, perhaps a lateral thinker and a vertical thinker are putting together a particle board bookshelf. The vertical thinker understands how to put the shelf together quickly and correctly, following each step precisely. Say the bookshelf does not quite fit in its assigned space when it is assembled. The vertical thinker may consider getting a new shelf or placing it somewhere else. The lateral thinker may solve the problem by laying the bookshelf on its side or rearranging some furniture. In other words, by working together, they could figure out different ways to make the shelf fit.
