Thinking outside the box isn’t just a tired business cliché. For many people it’s a way of life, whether they like it or not.

Image: BigDiesel07/Imgur / Sammie R8ter/Twitter

There’s no denying that what makes humans so great is their individuality. Indeed, we grow up being told what makes us special is that each and every one of us is unique. Of course, when you finally reach adulthood, you realize that’s not necessarily true. But there are a handful of people out there who really are operating on a completely different wavelength. To them, thinking outside the box is second nature, whether for better or worse, as these 20 pictures illustrate.

Look, we’re not saying whoever did this is a genius. We’re just saying they’ve clearly cracked a problem that has plagued mankind since the discovery of fire. Sure, you might look a bit stupid sat at your desk covered in straws. But your colleagues won’t be laughing when they burn their mouths on their scalding-hot soup.

Have you ever seen anyone so desperate to get into a bottle of liquor? In fact, we’re not sure if this qualifies as a genius solution or a contender for a Darwin Award. Either way, something in this guy’s brain is clearly wired completely differently to everyone else.

They say women live longer than men. This might be why. Indeed, it doesn’t get much more reckless than this. Surely there has to be a better solution for reaching that section of the wall? A big stick, for instance.

We’re guessing whoever was behind this stroke of genius has since had a promotion to marketing manager. After all, those who work in advertising do tend to operate on a different wavelength to the rest of us. But being able to buy your spirit and mixer together in one handy combo? We’re just surprised nobody thought of it before.

To be fair, this is a pretty good solution to not owning a ride-on mower. Although, let’s be honest, we probably wouldn’t have thought of it. Indeed, it takes a very certain type of brain to pull this kind of thing off.

Really, when a BBQ is at stake, anything remotely resembling a grill will do, at least for some people. And while you might think this is the kind of thing you’d see in the Deep South, it actually happened in England. As “alternative” life hacks go, it’s right up there.

Sure, it is actually possible to play your PS4 through your phone or computer, thanks to the invention of remote play. But when you can’t see the wood for the trees, this is the result: Facetiming your living room so you can carry on gaming in the bath.

It looks like this kid has already learned his lesson by making such an ingenious choice for his lines. Sure, his parents and teachers might call him lazy. But we all know who the real mastermind is here. Indeed, it’s fair to say this kid has a bright future ahead.

This is another one of those fixes that’s so simple, we can’t believe we never thought of it before. Indeed, resting your tablet on the countertop, and therefore taking up valuable meal prep real estate, is basically the caveman’s solution compared to this stroke of genius.

If you’re sick of having your personal space invaded on the subway, you’ll want to thank the stars that people like this exist. After all, how else would you have known about such a practical solution? What goes on inside some people’s brains is truly fascinating.

While most people would simply call a maintenance guy if their dryer broke down, this resourceful individual clearly had other ideas. That said, we’re not sure quite how practical this is, nor indeed the amount of energy consumption required. As a short-term fix, though? Perfect.

Yeah, this is totally a sensible solution. So much easier than going out and buying another clock, or even just fixing the minute hand. Then again, maybe this person just has a pretty good handle on their internal clock and doesn’t need a super accurate timepiece on their wall. That’s what we’ll tell ourselves, anyway.

If you’re forgetful enough to need to resort to something like this, chances are your brain is wired pretty differently anyway. It’s handy, then, that it would enable you to come up with such a great solution. If only the problem didn’t exist in the first place.

We’re not sure a Pop-Tart has the straightest edge. Certainly, it doesn’t seem straight enough to replace a ruler. That fact clearly hasn’t stopped this individual from giving it a go, however. And, if they decide it doesn’t work, they’ve at least got a tasty snack. You know, they might be on to something here…

This seems pretty suspect. We don’t know about you, but our laptop chargers never get hot enough for something like this to work. Then again, maybe this guy likes his pastries lukewarm? Either way, it’s not a solution many people would immediately turn to.

Smartphones, tablets and laptops. Who needs ’em? Not this guy, clearly. Depending on when this photo was taken, he’s either way ahead of his time, or stuck horrendously in the past. And no matter which of those is true, he’s clearly operating on an entirely different wavelength to the rest of us.

Let’s be honest. How many times have you sat there with the sun in your eyes, and this hasn’t occurred to you? Too many to count, probably. That’s because it’s not exactly an obvious solution. But it is one that crossed the strangely brilliant mind of this woman.

What’s better than one alternative mind facing a difficult task? Four alternative minds, of course. Indeed, seeing these guys work together like this is weirdly fulfilling. We guess we just wish our brains worked this way. It’d sure make life a lot easier.

Applying your alternative thinking skills to raising your kids is when you’re really winning at life. Indeed, this hands-free feeding solution is something most parents would probably kill to have in their arsenal of parenting techniques. But it takes someone special to actually figure it out.

Yes, this may be a rather extreme resolution to the eye-stinging nature of cutting onions. But you can’t argue with the results. And while it’s obvious that there are people out there who are just wired differently, sometimes you can’t help but wish you were, too.