Carl Gustav Jacobi was a mathematician from the 19th century. Most famous for thinking of the ‘Always Invert’ mantra.

Now back in his day this was only used for mathematics but in our recent century, is works economically as well as for personal problems.

An example of this being used is like asking, ‘how do we increase job market’ can be inverted as ‘how can we decrease the job market’?

This way is how you can find not so much about the things you should be doing, but the things you shouldn’t.

Now I’m assuming we’re all not in a power of political decisions, but rather our own personal lives. So a question could be like, how can I make this project help me become financially independent? Turns the question into ‘How can I stay financial dependent?’

Now possible answers for that is to spend more money than you earn or not have a budget period. Another is to expect the person you’re depends on to fit your bill all the time.

Some answers can even be spending all your time on people who are holding you back or making you feel bad. Or even create excuses for every obstacle you face.

Now with these answers you’re able to identify a different way of thinking about them. As well as how to avoid more pitfalls that can come up before they even appear.

Now here’s another hypothetical question: How do you want to stay healthy? Or rather how to stay unhealthy.

Possible answers are: Eat whatever you want, it doesn’t matter. Don’t do any exercises, don’t go out side, move as little as possible.

This is the direction of the inverted thinking. It reinforces what your original question is.

But inverting question don’t always work. Like when there’s only 1 or 2 direct answers where inverting is suppose to create multiple. Also it don’t work well on the questions that ask ‘why’? Examples are like scientific mysteries.

So go throughout your day and see if inverting your questions can lead you to new solutions.