How to think in reverse to effectively deal with problems: Retrograde analysis

Each of us has to make many difficult decisions. Sometimes, you freeze in place, thinking about what to do. Obstacles start to seem impossible, so you spend much time trying to make a choice. Instead of letting the process take its course and getting lost in a tangle of thoughts, try to approach decision-making effectively using retrograde analysis.

What is a retrograde analysis?

This is a strategy used in game theory to make early decisions that will ultimately bring the best result. It consists of tracking the moves in the opposite direction to determine which will be correct and which will condemn the player to failure. Retrograde analysis can be used in chess, similar games, and real-life — you must know how to do it.

Suppose you are sitting in front of a chessboard and playing with black pieces, and your opponent is white. Each figure has its own rules regarding how it can walk. It would be best if you took the opponent’s king out of the game so that the game ends with your victory. But he is comfortable and safe, surrounded by other “strong” pieces and a wall of pawns.

While thinking about how to break down the enemy’s defenses, you remember that you also need to protect your king. There are countless options for the development of the game. For example, the opponent’s king may be cornered by a rook. Visit. A F R I N I K . C O M . For the full article. Knowing that this is the result you need, you can narrow down the possible moves in the current game. You focus on using other pieces besides the rook to leave it for a possible checkmate, and you also need to move your king more to leave him safe.

By studying how you walk so that the chessboard looks how you intended, you eventually achieve your goal and win. Of course, it may be more challenging to use retrograde analysis in real life, but it can make your life a lot easier. How can we use retrograde analysis to solve complex problems? Let’s look at examples of some simple and familiar situations to make it easier to figure out how to apply retrograde analysis in everyday life.

3 ways to use retrograde analysis to solve complex problems

1. Organization of the holiday

Let’s say you were assigned to organize a corporate party at work. You and your team may have many questions: where to hold the event, will there be parking problems, and how many people need to be accommodated? Many “moving parts” are involved in this event, similar to the pieces on a chessboard.

If you feel overwhelmed by the number of decisions you must make, take a deep breath, take a short break, and then try a retrograde analysis. Don’t be afraid of the scale of the event—it’s better to think about the ideal components of the party. It would be best to find a place to hold a corporate party on the company’s birthday in July.

Accordingly, the event can be held outdoors to enjoy the fantastic summer weather. This gives you a basis for making the following decisions. For example, you can think about logistics to understand how many people can easily be accommodated in a restaurant with a summer terrace. That is, you imagine what kind of result you need and think the opposite, planning what actions are necessary to achieve it.

2. Achieving a career goal

Promotion is an exciting but stressful goal at the same time. Part of this stress arises from needing to figure out where to start to stand out in front of the boss and show the best result. Try a retrograde analysis — for example, reflect on how a promotion usually goes in your field of activity. You need to work for five years to grow up as a specialist.

Great, now you have a timeline that you can use to plan your goals. Pay attention to focus on the most important and result-oriented “movements.” This will help prevent you from falling into the trap of decisions that distract you from your ultimate goal and guide you down the wrong path.

3. Improving your relationship with a girl

Perhaps you would like your relationship with a girl to be more trusting, but you need to know where to start to make them what you imagine them to be. First, determine trust for you: the ability to communicate openly without hiding your thoughts and feelings. This is the point from which you need to make a countdown.

What will lead to the relationship becoming trusting? Deep conversations about emotions will help you and the girl stop being shy about expressing them. What do you need to talk about? Time, for example, one evening a week. What does it take to find him? One can refuse to watch the series on Friday or cancel a meeting in a computer game, replacing it with communication.

Thus, retrograde analysis is suitable for playing chess and improving problem-solving. It helps you keep the desired result in mind, think critically, and understand the options potentially leading to success. The next time you encounter a complex problem, try to apply this strategy — who knows, maybe it will help you find a way out of a situation that seems to be a dead end.