The theory and practice of thinking outside the box: interfacing abstractions with practical communication puzzles

Lateral puzzles of the "thinking outside the box" type can only be solved by going outside the boundaries of the original problem statement. A parallel is here drawn between the solution heuristic for these puzzles and for the kinds of communication puzzles encountered by technical communication professionals. I argue that abstract theories, once properly understood, are indispensable tools for explanation and problem solving, just as experimental questioning and hypothetical reasoning must likewise be employed to solve lateral puzzles.