Inversion
Instead of “how do I succeed?”, ask “what would guarantee failure?” — then avoid it.
Flip the problem. Rather than only chasing what would make something go right, list everything that would reliably make it go wrong — and then don’t do those. Avoiding stupidity is often easier and more reliable than seeking brilliance, and the failure modes are usually clearer than the success recipe. Invert, then steer away from the guaranteed disasters.
Where it applies
Skills this lens bears on — open any to see the lesson.