By expecting what’s likely to happen next, you prepare for the few most likely scenarios so that you don’t have to figure things out while they’re happening. It’s therefore not a surprise when a restaurant server offers you a menu. When she brings you a glass with a clear fluid in it, you don’t have to ask if it’s water. After you eat, you don’t have to figure out why you aren’t hungry anymore. All these things are expected and are therefore not problems to solve. Furthermore, imagine how demanding it would be to always consider all the possible uses for all the familiar objects with which you interact. Should I use my hammer or my telephone to pound in that nail? On a daily basis, functional fixedness is a relief, not a curse. That’s why you shouldn’t even attempt to consider all your options and possibilities. You can’t. If you tried to, then you’d never get anything done. So don’t knock the box Ironically, although it limits your thinking, it also makes you smart. It helps you to stay one step ahead of reality.