think inside the box

think inside the box

To have a very conventional, traditional, or uncreative way of thinking or coming up with ideas. The company is in dire straits, ladies and gentlemen. We can no longer keep thinking inside the box if we want to survive. I love really imaginative stories, but I just can't help thinking inside the box whenever I try to write one of my own.
See also: box, inside, think
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

think inside the box

Fig. to think in traditional fashion, bound by old, nonfunctional, or limiting structures, rules, or practices. (As if thinking or creativity were confined or limited by a figurative box. Compare this with think outside the box.) You won't come up with good ideas if you think only inside the box. You guys only think inside the box and will never find a better solution.
See also: box, inside, think
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

thinking inside the box

Follow tested paths that have been proven effective. In an article on relationships entitled, “Thinking Inside the Box,” Eliezer Sobel concluded that both relationships and health care benefit from thinking inside the box. “When seeking professional help,” he wrote, “find people inside the box. Especially dentists. Things outside that box can get really scary” (Huffington Post, August 10, 2010). See also outside the box.
See also: box, inside, thinking
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer
See also:
  • thinking inside the box
  • strait
  • be in dire straits
  • dire
  • dire straits, in
  • in dire straits
  • get (something) rolling
  • get rolling
  • ladies' room
  • ladies’ room
References in periodicals archive
* I don't think inside the box. I don't think outside the box, either.
Sometimes, I feel yucky ..
According to Think Inside the Box, a recent study published by PMMI's Business Intelligence, only 39% of brand owners that are testing the e-commerce waters are looking to change their primary packaging for the e-commerce channel.
Survey: E-commerce packaging materials, pain points, and methods
We will work and think inside The Box to create positive and disruptive changes outside the box.'
Nissan opens new Latin America design studio in Brazil
"E-commerce 2018: Think Inside the Box," a new study from PMMI Business Intelligence, addresses the problems with overpacking.
Is it Possible to Have Sustainable E-Commerce Packaging?
The following are some creative and low-cost ways to think inside the box.
Six Creative Ways to Designing An Unboxing Masterpiece
According to the 2018 E-Commerce: Think Inside the Box report from PMMI, The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, sales from e-commerce are expected to reach $684 billion by 2020.
Tips to take on e-commerce successfully
A few tips on what needs to go into your basket: Think Inside the Box Disposable containers are easier to, well, dispose of, but aren't such great news for the environment.
Your guide to packing the perfect picnic
Rather than making them think out of the box, we focus more on making them think inside the box. The book also highlights on parenting and schooling system, and special situations of children like Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Autism.
Educationist, Bestselling Author Dr. Gaurav Nigam launches book cover of his second book 'The Uncomplicated Child'
Vicious show chiefs think inside the box THE celebrities screamed in terror as they found themselves boxed in with critters during their latest trial, the aptly named Vicious Circle.
You're a celebrity.. get me out of here; LOVE BUGS IT'S ALL BEGINNING TO HOT UP DOWN UNDER Scarlett's ex on how her rising fame drove them apart
Even when told to think inside the box and within set boundaries, we still find new things to play on and explore.
The hidden creativity of Saudi Arabia
That approach led him to "think inside the box." The optics reside in two boxes, one housing two 12.5-inch-diameter, f/4.7 primary minors, the other supporting dual upper-cage assemblies.
Oltion's Awesome Binoscope: this fine instrument was a highlight at the 2014 Oregon Star Party
"People tend to think inside the box a bit when it comes to eggs - like scrambled eggs or fried eggs at breakfast - but there are so many possibilities.
Give eggs a crack! FOOD & DRINK Celebrity chef Dean Edwards is on a mission to prove eggs are more than just a breakfast staple. The former digger driver shares his secret for perfectly-cooked eggs, and reveals how his grandmother inspired his passion for food
AMAZON WADES INTO TV Readers were intrigued by Todd Spangler's column about Amazon Studios' original content ("Why Amazon Is Ready to Think Inside the Box").
Amazon wades into TV
Hours of nothing, then suddenly one bright spark pipes up: "Let's think INSIDE the box. Put couples in one and make them, you know, do it!" So it was that Sex Box entered the world kicking and screaming.
Nookie-vision