recent message from Edward de Bono, father of lateral thinking: ‘thinking to be a problem
Mistranslated, would: just we think solutions for problems.
Here is the original text, my translation and my comments:
“Because we often consider ‘thinking’ to be problem solving we do not think much about matters which are not problems. If there is a wide open road ahead of us we do not stop to consider the side roads. This is what I call ‘blocked by openness’. Many things continue because they are reasonably satisfactory so we never think any more about them. A classic example is democracy which is full of faults and limitations but can never be challenged. I can think of at least four ways in which democracy could be greatly improved.
Whose business is it to think about things which are not problems?”
"Accustomed to thinking to solve problems, We do not give any importance to what is not a problem. If we move through a huge highway, always we think of the central lanes, not on the side tracks. It is what I call "lock opening". Many things continue as they are because they are already well, and therefore we never think of them. A common example would be democracy, a packed system errors and limitations but nobody dares to question. I can think of at least four ways in which democracy could be improved.
What business you are there to solve things that are not problems?”
I agree with Bono. Sometimes we tend to take for good what could be improvable. A democracy It's a good example, but we could go much further: marital relations, the parents and children,... The general tendency is to think: it works, Let it be.
Nevertheless, I think there are businesses that not only solve problems, but generate new opportunities. The invention of mop –español by-the-way-, did not solve any problems, since then scrub floors hand was not a problem, It was a habit. The invention was an opportunity, Over the years and today, Yes we would consider to scrub a floor hand is a problem.
The low cost It would be a similar case. A few years ago, the price of an airline ticket from Madrid to Brussels, 500 €, It was not a problem, was aReality assumed. The emergence of low cost made generate a new opportunity to travel to Brussels for 90 €. Thanks to that opportunity, thousands of people who had not even thought about traveling there you have. Problem or Opportunity? Matter of nuance.
I leave you with this “problem” lateral thinking: In the basket there are six eggs, and six people an egg each carry. How can it be that still left an egg in the basket?. The solution in the next post.
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I think one of the people who carried an egg also carries basket. Will there?
effectively, It is going around
great exercise, I am a student and would like magister, please, you will send me to my mail three plans to promote the development of a mental operation with lateral thinking. Thank you very much. Helmut.