Classic de Bono: Thinking!

Over the years Dr Edward de Bono has shared great insights through his messages. This series of blogs revisits some of those highlights.

If we look at the evolutionary stages of man we might, very roughly, see something like the following:

• .… an organism develops probably in the sea
• .… the organism gets on to land
• …. eventually there are mammals in trees
• …. down from the trees
• …. standing upright
• …. using tools
• …. using language
• …. identifying things

What is the next stage?

• …. THINKING!!

I believe that the next big step in the evolution of the human species is the development of thinking. So what have we been doing for the last five thousand or so years? We have been “recognising”. We have been identifying and recognising standard situations. This may involve analysis and judgment. It also involves learning about and classifying situations. It is amazing how far this rather primitive sort of thinking has got us. It has worked much better in the areas of science and technology than in human affairs. In human affairs we have not made very much progress over the last millennium. We still have fights, wars, enemies and plenty of aggression. Of course we always put this down to “human nature” and human aggression. This is a very convenient excuse – but only an excuse. In the Karee mine in South Africa the seven different tribes have their traditional enemies that gave rise to 210 fights every month. Susan Mackie and Donald Dawson, set out to teach these unschooled miners basic thinking. The result? The fights dropped from 210 a month to just 4. Can you really change human nature in five hours? No, but you can change thinking. You can change perception. It is sad that organisations like the UN and the World Bank have virtually no idea of the really important things that are happening. My meeting with the World Bank People in Washington was very disappointing. Building dams is not really as important as teaching thinking – which can be done at the most basic level. My latest book, NEW THINKING FOR THE NEW MILLENNIUM, which is just published, emphasises the need to change from our standard “what is” thinking to “what can be” thinking. From judgment thinking to design thinking. Education, including schools and universities, are so very far behind. ‘Value’ is to ‘design’ what ‘truth’ is to ‘analysis’. Edward de Bono. About the author: Dr Edward de Bono is a world leading authority on thinking skills. Creator of the Six Thinking Hats®, Lateral Thinking and many other workshops he has authored 62 books published in 32 languages.   Holst is Dr Edward de Bono’s partner in Europe. Click here for more information about Dr de Bono and his tools. Would you like to change how people think? Consider adding Dr Edward de Bono’s tools to your portfolio and become an accredited de Bono trainer.  ]]>