Thinking about Thinking?
One of the saddest pieces of news this week was that Dr. Edward de Bono, the man behind the concept of “lateral thinking” had died at the age of 88.
De Bono often appeared quirky coming up with ideas that were occasionally absurd. He once offered Marmite as a solution to Middle East problems and is reputed to have asked a speeding London taxi driver if cars should have square wheels. Not surprisingly some derided him as peddling “pseudo-science” and articulating “pseudo babble”.
However, stepping aside from these arguments, (De Bono described arguments as a primitive process), the application of his works “The use of lateral thinking” (1967) and “Six Thinking Hats” (1985) continue to be of assistance in some of the business and personal training courses I deliver right across the UK. His models have helped me with personal problem solving too.
De Bono Six Thinking Hats
Every hat has a colour -black, blue, green, red, yellow, and white. Each colour represents a new approach to examining aspects of a given problem from different perspectives.
· White is for facts already known.
· Black reminds us about spotting holes and weaknesses.
· Blue denotes process or direction to take.
· Green looks creatively at the issue- alternatives.
· Red is about your gut reaction to the problem.
· Yellow the upside or benefits of a plan.
Taken and thought about together, the hats try to bring modern meaning to that well known 17th century phrase “Get your thinking cap on”. *
The Six Hat model has its limitations of course but surely anything that gets us thinking about thinking can only be positive.
De Bono used humour to the last with a prediction that his epitaph would be “Here lies Edward De Bono, lateral to the last”.
Reminds me of Spike Milligan’s gravestone which bears the words “I told you I was ill”.
RIP to them both!
*Footnote
· A thinking cap was previously known by the name “a considering cap”. That term has gone entirely out of use now but was used since at least the early 17th century, as in this example from Robert Armin in his story Foole upon Foole (1605)
“The Cobbler puts off his considering cap. Why sir, says he, I sent them home but now”
Think about it!