When Do You Apply OppThink? When Do You Do the Opposite?

OppThink seems to work best when going forward (SameThink) is no longer giving you the results you want.

In science, it occurs when new data means a theory no longer works, or does not work well; when a current theory must become more and more complicated in order to explain all data, this provides the opportunity for a new, opposite theory that is simpler and/or more elegant. Examples: Lavoisier and his oxygen theory supplanting phlogiston theory; Einstein's constant-speed-of-light relativity supplanting two theories -- Newtonian physics and the light-travels-through-ether theory; Copernicus' Earth-orbits-Sun theory supplanting Ptolemy's Sun-orbits-Earth theory.

In personal matters, it occurs when actions you are doing are not getting you closer to your goals, and hence one or more of your beliefs/actions need to change -- often to an opposite belief/action. Example: you are driving straight ahead but a traffic jam ahead means a big delay, so you U-turn and take the opposite direction. Sometimes you have to take the long way around a roadblock if it is the only way to achieve the ultimate goal of getting to your destination.