To solve the equation \( x^2 = 36 \) by inspection, we want to find the values of \( x \) that satisfy the equation.
Taking the square root of both sides, we have:
\[ x = \pm 6 \]
This means the two real solutions are \( -6 \) and \( 6 \).
The lesser number first gives us:
\[ {-6, 6} \]