Topic X Critical and

Creative
2 Thinking
LEARNING OUTCOMES
By the end of this topic, you should be able to:
1. Define critical thinking, creative thinking and lateral thinking;
2. Explain the characteristics of critical and creative thinking;
3. Give examples of critical and creative thinking respectively;
4. Describe the barriers of critical thinking;
5. Identify the application of creative thinking in problem solving;
6. Describe the six techniques of lateral thinking; and
7. Describe right and left brain crossover.

X INTRODUCTION
There are two basic thinking skills (Figure 2.1).

Figure 2.1: Two basic thinking skills

      
                    
 
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The first skill emphasises on analytical ability: how to logically follow an

argument, how to compare, classify and sequence, and how to use deductive and
inductive reasoning to arrive at a conclusion. This thinking skill is called critical
thinking.

The second skill focuses on exploring ideas, generating new possibilities, looking
for flexibility in answers and developing leads worthy of elaboration. This
thinking skill is called creative thinking.

Both critical and creative thinking skills are essential for solving problems and
acquiring knowledge.

In this topic, we will explore both thinking skills, examine their characteristics and
see how they are applied in solving problems in the real world.

ACTIVITY 2.1
In Topic 1, we learned about the functions of the right and left
hemispheres of the human brain. Given the brief descriptions of critical
and creative thinking in the Introduction above, how do you think these
two thinking skills fit in the model of the „right-brain, left-brain‰
functionalities?

2.1 CRITICAL THINKING

Whenever the word „critical‰ is used, it often has a negative connotation.
„Critical‰ is often taken to mean „the tendency to find and call attention to errors
and flaws,‰ such as when a person is „critical‰ of what we do or say.

However, critical also means „involving or exercising skilled judgement or

observation.‰ It is in this sense that the word „critical‰ in „critical thinking‰ is used.
Thus, when we say „critical thinking,‰ we mean thinking clearly and intellectually.
Critical thinking encompasses a wide range of cognitive skills and intellectual
characteristics needed to effectively identify, analyse and assess arguments or
truth of claims. To think critically means to discover and overcome personal
prejudices and biases, to prepare and come up with convincing reasons in support
of conclusions and to make rational, smart decisions about what to believe and
what to do.

      
                    
 
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In other words, critical thinking can be defined as, „disciplined thinking regulated
by clear intellectual standards. The most important intellectual standards
identified are clarity, accuracy, relevance, consistency, logical correctness and
fairness‰ (Bassham, 2000, p. 7).

We will briefly look at each of these important intellectual standards in order to

understand them better.

2.1.1 Eight Characteristics of Critical Thinking

Now, let us look into eight characteristics of critical thinking.

(a) Clarity
The first step involved before assessing an argument or claim of a person is
to understand clearly what he or she is saying. However, many a time this
can be rather challenging because people often fail to express themselves
clearly and articulately. This may be due to several reasons which can
include laziness, carelessness or lack of assertive skill. There are also
instances where this may be due to a misguided effort to appear smart,
intelligent or profound. Thus, by paying close attention to language, we can
save ourselves from unnecessary miscommunications and disappointments.
Wittgenstein (2001) once remarked, „Everything that can be said can be said
clearly.‰

Besides searching for clarity of language, critical thinkers also look for
maximum clearness of thought. As motivational writers constantly remind
us to accomplish our personal goals in life, we require a clear conception of
our goals and priorities, a realistic grip of our abilities and a clear
understanding of the problems and opportunities we encounter. However,
such self-understanding can only be accomplished if we value and practise
clarity of thought. Charles Larmore (The National Post, July 29, 2000) once
expressed that „clarity is not mere embellishment of the intellect; it is the very
heart of intellectual virtue.‰

(b) Precision
Some of the best examples of critical thinking are seen in detective stories
such as those of Sherlock Holmes, the immortal creation of British writer Sir
Arthur Conan Doyle. An important element of these stories is precision:
through careful observation, Holmes is able to find clues that are overlooked
by others. A process of logical inference follows, by which he is able to use
the available clues to solve the mystery.

      
                    
 
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Precision is required in various specialised fields such as medicine,

mathematics, architecture and engineering. Critical thinkers are aware of the
importance of precise thinking in everyday life where in order to dissect the
confusions and uncertainties that surround many everyday problems and
issues. It is a must to obtain precise answers to precise questions. According
to Peirce (as cited in Bassham et al., 2011), „Really valuable ideas can only be
had at the price of close attention.‰

(c) Accuracy
A well-known tagline on input-output systems states, „Garbage in, garbage
out.‰ The human mind works on the same concept. A person can be
considered very intelligent but if he or she makes a decision based on false
information, it is very likely that the decision would be a bad one. Critical
thinkers not only value truth but also have an obsession for accurate and
timely information. They try hard to make decisions that are as informed as
possible.

To quote Socrates (as cited in Bassham et al., 2011): „An unexamined life is
not worth living if an individual stops learning, growing and inquiring.‰

SELF-CHECK 2.1
In scientific measurements, the difference between „precision‰ and
„accuracy‰ is well articulated. How would you differentiate between
these two terms in regard of critical thinking?

(d) Relevance
The moment we find ourselves in a situation where the environment and
people are boring, we begin to appreciate the importance of staying focused
on relevant ideas and information. Many a debater has successfully used the
technique of raising irrelevant issues to distract the attention of his or her
audience and opponents. The famous Abraham Lincoln, when he was a
lawyer, used jokes and stories to gain the favour of the jury and his opposing
counsel often complained to the judge that LincolnÊs stories were irrelevant
and distracting to the jury.

As Plato (as cited in Bassham et al., 2011) once said, „No tedious and
irrelevant discussion can be allowed; what is said should be pertinent.‰ This
clearly indicates that relevance is indeed an important factor in critical
thinking.

      
                    
 
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(e) Consistency
Logic tells us that if a person holds inconsistent beliefs, then at least one of
those beliefs must be untrue. Critical thinkers value truth, thus, they are
always on the lookout for inconsistencies, both in their own thoughts and in
the arguments and assertions of others.

Logical inconsistency, which involves saying or believing inconsistent

things, is the first type of inconsistency that we should avoid. The second
type is practical inconsistency, which involves mentioning one thing but
doing another.

Many a time people realise that when their words conflict with their actions,
they are labelled as hypocrites. However, such examples are not especially
interesting from the critical thinking point of view. More interesting are
situations in which people do not realise that their words conflict with their
deeds. What is important in such situations is that human beings often
exhibit a remarkable capacity for self-deception. As the saying of Morpheus
goes, „There is a difference between knowing the path and walking the path‰
(as cited in Bassham et al., 2011).

Critical thinking helps us from being caught in the trap of logical and
practical inconsistencies. Practical inconsistency may be unconscious but it is
borne out through our actions and critical thinking helps us realise that. As
for logical inconsistency, Socrates had already recognised that unconscious
logical inconsistency is far more frequent than most individuals suspect.
With critical thinking, this can be identified and avoided altogether.

(f) Logical Correctness

To think logically is to reason correctly; in other words, it means to draw
well-founded conclusions from the beliefs we hold. In order to think
critically, we not only require accurate and well-supported beliefs but we
also need to be able to use them to come up with logical conclusions. The
Talmud says, „Intelligence means a person who can see implications and
arrive at conclusions‰ (as cited in Bassham et al., 2011).

(g) Completeness
Most of the time, we opt for shallow and superficial thinking rather than deep
and complete thinking. We are often embroiled in superficial discussions:
condemning slipshod criminal investigations, hasty jury deliberations,
superficial news stories, unclear driving directions and incorrect medical
diagnoses. Thinking is better when it is in depth rather than shallow, and
thorough rather than superficial. Hsun Tzu (as cited in Bassham et al., 2011)
once stated, „It is only when there is completeness and exhaustiveness that
there is scholarship.‰

      
                    
 
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(h) Fairness
The final characteristic of critical thinking is fairness which includes being
open-minded, impartial and free of bias and preconceptions. However, this
is rather difficult to accomplish. According to H. G. Wells, „It is not much
good thinking of a thing unless you think it out‰ (as cited in Bassham et al.,
2011).

Study these two examples of situations where critical thinking is used.

(a) Critical Thinking in the Classroom

When students enrol in a college, they are taken aback to find out that their
professors are less interested in how they got their beliefs than they are in
whether those beliefs can survive critical inspection. In general, the focus is
on higher-order thinking, the active, intelligent evaluation of ideas and
information. Thus, critical thinking plays an important role in the college
curriculum.

In a critical thinking course, among the skills learned by students that can
greatly increase their classroom abilities are:

(i) Understanding the arguments and beliefs of others;

(ii) Assessing those arguments and beliefs critically; and

(iii) Developing and defending their own well-supported arguments and

beliefs.

John J. Mearsheimer once said, „We donÊt want you to just accept the
conventional wisdom on a particular subject. Indeed, your first instinct
should be to question it‰ (as cited in Bassham et al., 2011).

(b) Critical Thinking in the Workplace

Nowadays, employers are not only looking for skilful employees with high
academic qualifications but also individuals with an excellent ability to think
and communicate effectively in the workplace. They seek fast learners who
can solve problems, think creatively, gather and analyse information, come
up with appropriate conclusions from data and communicate their ideas
clearly and effectively. As stated by the Foundation for Critical Thinking,
„There is nothing more practical than sound thinking.‰

      
                    
 
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2.1.2 Classification Games in Teaching Critical

Thinking
It is believed that classification plays a vital role in the growth of logical thinking
and abstract concepts right from early childhood to adulthood. Gerhard (1975)
stated that the classification skill is vital to vocabulary-concept development and
thus, to reading and preservation of information. According to Furth and Wachs
(1974), all classification tasks require the identification of features and separation
into categories according to some rules.

There are a number of commercial materials with verbal analogies, figural and
symbolic problem solving, logic puzzles and feature games. Nevertheless,
application of a wide variety of environmental objects must follow. Incorporation
of classification activities into content areas is also important to determine their
usefulness. Currently, its applications to mathematics and science, in particular the
investigating approach to science, are indeed obvious.

According to the theory of Schema, information that needs to be stored must be

grouped with something already present in memory (Tonjes & Zintz, 1987).
Techniques involving brainstorming that help in the understanding process are
proposed to help students retrieve their past knowledge on a particular topic to be
read, and then categorise and save the new information in their memory.

Devine (1986) stated that it might be necessary to reorganise studentsÊ schemata

when past experience that was limited to a different perspective intervened with
the understanding of a new concept. He used the example of students who faced
problems understanding relationships between the concepts of social class and
caste system. In a word-related exercise, the students were required to list
everything they knew about each term individually. Then, they were asked to find
resemblance, for example, while categorising facts and events, identifying the
common traits among them and labelling them, hence developing new concepts
or schemata.

      
                    
 
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2.1.3 Barriers to Critical Thinking

Although critical thinking is important, many highly educated and intelligent
people find it rather a challenge to practise. Below are some common barriers to
critical thinking:

x Lack of relevant background x Relativistic thinking

information
x Stereotyping
x Poor reading skills
x Unwarranted assumptions
x Bias
x Scapegoating
x Prejudice
x Rationalisation
x Superstition
x Denial
x Self-centred thinking
x Wishful thinking
x Group-centred thinking
x Short-term thinking
x Peer pressure
x Selective perception
x Conformism
x Selective memory
x Provincialism
x Overpowering emotions
x Narrow-mindedness
x Self-deception
x Close-mindedness
x Face-saving
x Distrust in reason
x Fear of change

SELF-CHECK 2.2

Elaborate on any five of the barriers stated above.

      
                    
 
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2.1.4 Importance of Critical Thinking

Firstly, critical thinking prevents us from making foolish personal decisions by
teaching us to think about important life decisions more carefully, clearly and
logically. Secondly, it plays a crucial role in promoting democratic processes.
Albert Einstein (www.leadershipnow.com/probsolvingquotes.html) once stated
that „the significant problems we face cannot be solved at the level of thinking we
were when we created them.‰ Thirdly, critical thinking is believed to bring
personal enrichment to our lives.

Critical thinking can free mankind from the unexamined postulations and biases
of our upbringing and society.

Howard Kahane (as cited in Bassham et al., 2011) once remarked that „citizens
who think for themselves, rather than uncritically ingesting what their leaders tell
them, are the absolutely necessary ingredient of a society that is to remain truly
free.‰

ACTIVITY 2.2
In groups of three or four, define the following critical thinking traits:
intellectual honesty, open-mindedness, fair-mindedness, intellectual
courage and intellectual perseverance.

2.2 CREATIVE THINKING

It was found that before the mid-1950s, not much attention was given to creativity.
A researcher who examined more than 121,000 listings of articles in Psychological
Abstracts in the past 23 years found that only 186 articles, which translated to less
than two-tenths of 1% of the total, had any essence of creativity. From that point
onwards, attention towards creativity increased tremendously and many books
were written on the subject. Researchers have thoroughly investigated the lives of
creative achievers, explored the creative process and tested creative performance
in every conceivable situation and at every age level.

      
                    
 
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Their efforts helped to improve our understanding of creativity and solved the
many misconceptions that for so long went unchallenged. Replacing those false
impressions with facts is a vital step in developing oneÊs creative potential. The
facts that follow are among the most important ones:

(a) „Doing your own thing‰ is not necessarily a mark of creativity

(b) Creativity does not require special intellectual talent or high IQ

(c) The use of drugs hinders creativity

(d) Creativity is an expression of mental health

Creative thinking can be defined as „being in an optimal state of mind where new
ideas can be generated‰ (www.brainstorming.co.uk). In other words, creative
thinking is a purposeful thinking that improves the chances of new thoughts
transpiring. Some authors believe that creative thinking is thinking out of the box
where one comes about with original, diverse and elaborate ideas (Figure 2.2).

Figure 2.2: Creative thinking involves thinking outside of the box which can be difficult
at times

      
                    
 
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2.2.1 Five Characteristics of Creative Thinking

Now, let us read further about the five characteristics of creative thinking.

(a) Dynamism
In its simplest sense, dynamism implies the notion of change ă change in
response to, and possibly ahead of, circumstances or information. It implies
an active interaction, as opposed to passive acquiescence.

The mind of a critical thinker is never allowed to be passive, unquestioning

and accepting. On the other hand, a creative thinker always manages to keep
his or her curiosity burning, or at least rekindles it from time to time.
Playfulness is said to be an important element of this dynamism. Creative
people can be regarded as little children who love to rearrange their building
blocks in various combinations, viewing them from different perspectives.

Isaac Newton (as cited in Ruggiero, 2009 p. 6) once wrote, „I do not know
what I may appear to the world; but to myself, I seem to have been only like
a boy playing on the seashore, and diverting myself in now and then finding
Ú a smoother pebble or a prettier shell than ordinary whilst the great ocean
of truth lay all undiscovered before me.‰

Einstein (as cited in Ruggiero, 2009 p. 6) speculated one step further: he saw
such playfulness as „the essential feature in productive thought.‰ One of the
most important contributions of playfulness among creative people is that it
provides these individuals with a richer and more varied collection of ideas
than an average person enjoys.

(b) Daringness
Thinking is an adventure for creative people. This is because they are free
from preconceived ideas and prejudiced views. Furthermore, creative
individuals are less prone to accepting existing views, wider in their
perspectives and less likely to agree with those around them. Creative people
can come up with bold ideas. They are willing to try out ideas that are not
accepted by others and also experiment with possibilities that are disliked by
others. This trait was shared by Galileo, Columbus, Edison and the Wright
brothers. These individuals were more willing to embrace new creative ideas
than their contemporaries.

Daringness is a virtue because it makes individuals who possess this trait less
susceptible to face-saving than others. Daring individuals accept bad
experiences, apply their curiosity and learn from those experiences. Thus,
they are less likely than others to repeat the same failures.

      
                    
 
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(c) Resourcefulness
Resourcefulness can be defined as the ability to act effectively and
conceptualise the approach that solves the problem. In addition, being
resourceful also means being able to solve a problem that perplexes others
when the resources at hand are insufficient.

Although this ability is not measured by IQ tests, it is one of the most

important aspects of practical intelligence. The best example that explains
this trait is one that was published in Scientific American more than 50 years
ago. In this article, a prisoner in a western state prison escaped but was
recaptured after a few weeks. The prison officers grilled him for days and
repeatedly questioned him on where he obtained the saw to cut through the
bars. Finally, he answered that he had gathered bits of twine in the machine
shops, dipped them in glue and then in emery, and smuggled them back to
his cell. Every night for three months, he had sawed the one inch-thick steel
bars. The officers were satisfied with his explanation, locked him up and
ensured that he never visited the machine shop again.

However, after three and a half years, the prisoner escaped again during the
night. The prison officers found the bars cut in exactly the same manner as
in the previous escape. However, he was never recaptured, and the way he
escaped remained an unsolved puzzle.

In fact, he had lied about using material from the machine shop the first time.
He had been much more resourceful than that. He had used woollen strings
from his socks, moistened them with spit, and rubbed them in dirt on his cell
floor.

(d) Diligence
William Gordon (as cited in Ruggiero, 2009 p. 7) once said, „All problems
present themselves to the mind as threats of failure.‰ Only individuals who
are not frightened by the prospects of failure and have an unwavering desire
to succeed no matter what the effort required, have the opportunity to
succeed‰.

Creative individuals are ready to make the required commitment. Thomas

Edison (as cited in Ruggiero, 2009 p. 7) had commitment in mind when he
said, „Genius is 99 percent perspiration and 1 percent inspiration.‰ Another
great personality, George Bernard Shaw (as cited in Ruggiero, 2009 p. 7), once
stated: „When I was a young man, I observed that nine out of ten things I did
were failures. I did not want to be a failure, so I did ten times more work.‰

      
                    
 
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One important trait present in creative people is their ability to be thoroughly

engrossed in a problem and give it their full attention. In addition, creative
people, due to their competitiveness, pay more attention to their ideas rather
than to other people. One good example is Lester Pfister, who conceived the
idea of inbreeding stalks and worked by hand, season after season. After five
years, he had only four stalks left and he was poor. Less determined souls
would probably have given up in frustration and disappointment under such
circumstances but Pfister was unwilling to accept defeat. He persevered and
was finally rewarded with an improved strain.

(e) Independence
Every time we think of a new idea, we separate ourselves from other people.
The mere expression of the idea increases this separation ten-fold.

For most people, especially those who obtain their power from
communicating with others and those who depend on others for their
identity, such separation is frightening. Sad to say, such people do not feel
comfortable entertaining and expressing new ideas. This is due to their fear
of rejection.

Creative individuals are different. Although they accept friendship and

support from others, they are not entirely dependent on them. They look
within themselves for strength and are thus more self-confident, more
independent in the way they speak and act and less afraid of appearing
strange or out of place (Figure 2.3).

Figure 2.3: Creative individuals are said to be more independent comparatively

Source: http://www.h2euro.org/latest-news/eu-policy-news/fch-ju-independent-
as-of-november-15th-2010

Understanding and knowing these five characteristics can help you build up
your creative abilities if you are willing to make the effort to develop them.
However, if you already have them, it will help you to improve and
strengthen them. This is a difficult but possible task ă as the saying goes, „Old
habits die hard.‰ Nevertheless, even modest progress will bring a change in
the quality of your thinking.

      
                    
 
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SELF-CHECK 2.3

List five important traits of creative individuals and explain each one of
them in your own words.

2.2.2 Applying Creativity to Problems and Issues

Two extensive applications of creativity that are of special interest to most
individuals are solving problems and resolving controversial issues. Both refer to
unpleasant situations that challenge our intelligence, or situations that have no
available or suitable solutions. Such situations tend to divide people into opposing
groups, each with the notion that they are right and the other party is wrong.

The most important methods to apply creativity to problems and issues include:

(a) Taking an innovative and new approach;

(b) Devising or changing a process or system;

(c) Coming up with a new product or service;

(d) Searching for new uses for existing things;

(e) Improvising on existing things; and

(f) Discovering or redefining a concept.

Now, let us read about each of the methods together with their example to fully
understand them.

(a) Taking an Innovative and New Approach

Humane Society inspectors who came across two dogs in a closed car in
brutal 92qC heat used a new approach to punish the dogsÊ owners. They
offered the owners an alternative to being charged with cruelty to animals:
spend an hour inside the closed car themselves at the same temperature that
the dogs were exposed to while the dogs spend the hour in the air-
conditioned Humane Society building [„Couple Learns Golden RuleÚ..,‰
Oneonta Star, 29 August 1981].

Another good example of taking an innovative approach is the story of

D. B. Kaplan, who was given the task of coming up with new ways of writing
menus for restaurants. He took up the challenge with a tongue-in-cheek
approach. Items that he came up with included Tongue Fu, the Italian

      
                    
 
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Scallion, Chive Turkey, Ike and Tina Tuna, Dr Pepperoni, the Breadless
Horseman, Annette Spinachello, and Quiche and Tell. The ingredients were
as creative as the names.

(b) Devising or Changing a Process or System

The Dewey decimal system and the Library of Congress system are two
techniques that were created for classifying books.

Other brilliant examples are the procedures devised in the past one
or two decades to investigate the health of a foetus. Procedures such as
amniocentesis and chorionic villus sampling involve the extraction of
amniotic fluid, while ultrasound imaging involves the bouncing of sound
waves off the foetus to form an image.

DNA fingerprinting is another example of creativity. This technique is based

on the fact that every individual who ever lived has his own unique genetic
makeup. A strand of hair or a spot of urine, saliva or semen found at a crime
scene can be compared with a DNA sample of a suspect and be a significant
factor in finding out the identity of the guilty individual or criminal.

(c) Coming Up With a New Product or Service

In 1845, a man needed money to pay a debt. He was thinking of what he
could invent in order to pay off his debt. Three hours later, he came up with
the safety pin, an idea which he sold for $400.

Other surprising examples are Graffiti Gobbler, a chemical compound that

can remove ink or paint from wood, brick or steel, and the Moto-Stand, a
three-wheeled, upholstered, motorised truck invented by a man paralysed
from chest down. This vehicle allowed him to manoeuvre around the house
in standing position [Crippled Inventor is Standing Proud, Oneonta Star,
30 November 1981].

(d) Searching for New Uses for Existing Things

Agricultural crops have long been used for unusual purposes. For example,
cotton lint is used to manufacture explosives while ground-up tobacco is
used to make insecticide.

Scientists found new ways to use the largest surplus crop in the United
States, which was corn. For example, corn was used in making de-icing
materials, adhesives, disposable bottles and biodegradable garbage bags.
[„New inventions from the Cornfield,‰ New York Times, 10 January 1988].

                    
 
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(e) Improvising on Existing Things

Some good examples of existing things that have been improvised are the
recent developments in the telephone, such as call block, call trace, priority
call, return call, repeat call and caller ID. Each of these features was devised
in response to a particular need that was not fulfilled by the existing device
or equipment.

(f) Discovering or Redefining a Concept

Most of us have this notion that the many concepts that help us think and
deal with reality are permanent and last forever. However, this may not be
true. Just as products and services are invented, so are concepts. The concepts
of taxation and punishing criminals, for example, may be very old, but they
were once upon a time new.

ACTIVITY 2.3

1. „The more formal education a person has, the more he is able to

analyse, but the less he is able to improvise.‰

Discuss this statement in the context of critical and creative

thinking.

2. Being creative does not only mean possessing certain characteristics

but also behaving creatively; approaching the challenges we face
with imagination and originality. In short, it means exhibiting skill
in applying the creative process. Do an Internet search to determine
the stages involved in the creative process. Elaborate on each stage.

2.3 LATERAL THINKING

Edward de Bono (www.generations.gs/TQ11/Creativity/sites/vs.html)
(a leading authority in the field of creative thinking) defined lateral thinking as
„exploring multiple possibilities and approaches instead of pursuing a single
approach.‰ Besides teaching you to think in a creative manner, lateral thinking has
the ability of transforming problems into opportunity, search for alternative
solutions and significantly increase your number of original and practical ideas
employing unusual thinking techniques that are normally not within the ability of
our normal methods of thinking.

      
                    
 
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Lateral thinking is usually employed by individuals who are given the

responsibility of coming up with new strategies in the R & D sector. Nevertheless,
any individual who is in a lookout for innovativeness, idea generation, concept
development, creative problem solving or a strategy to challenge the present
situation can gain from lateral thinking. Generally, in the modern world,
individuals who are facing fast-changing trends, intense competition and who are
required to come up with extraordinary results could benefit from lateral thinking.

Table 2.1 summarises the six different lateral thinking techniques.

Table 2.1: Six Techniques in Lateral Thinking

Technique Description
1. Alternatives/Concept Employing concepts to come up with new ideas.
Extraction
2. Focus Changing or sharpening on your focus to improve your
creative effort.
3. Challenge Thinking beyond the accepted ways of operating.
4. Random entry Employing unrelated input to widen the horizon of
thinking.
5. Harvesting Choosing of the most suitable early ideas and moulding
them into usable approaches.
6. Treatment of ideas Expanding ideas in order to incorporate them into any
particular situations or organisations.

Lateral thinking may be useful when applied in the following:

(a) Challenging of a present situation in a positive manner to allow room for

new ideas.

(b) Search and build on the concept behind an idea in order to generate more
ideas.

(c) Resolve problems in methods that were not thought of initially.

(d) Utilise alternatives to produce and harness the creative energy of an

organisation.

(e) Transform problems into opportunities.

(f) Choose the optimum alternate ideas and put them into operation.

      
                    
 
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SELF-CHECK 2.4
1. The following questions are designed to test your ability to practise
lateral thinking.
(a) What can you hold in your right hand, but not in your left?
(b) A man and his son were in a car crash. The father was killed
and the son was taken to hospital with serious injuries. The
examining doctor exclaims: „But, this is my son!‰.
How can this be?
(c) Name three consecutive days in English without using the
words Tuesday, Thursday, or Saturday.

2. Describe the six lateral thinking techniques.

2.4 RIGHT AND LEFT BRAIN CROSSOVER

In general, an individual uses both sides of the brain when making a decision. This
is due to the fact that when you use only one side of your brain, you are basically
denying yourself the opportunity to use your full power in the decision making
process.

The crossover of right and left brain crossover produces a sound, rational and
logical decision that gives you satisfaction. The right hemisphere of the brain is
responsible for intuitive, subjective and holistic thinking. Thus an individual who
uses only the right brain may end up making a decision that lacks the logical and
objective reasoning. On the other hand, the left brain is in charge of logical,
analytical, rational and objective reasoning. Hence, a left brain user who works
with facts, data and logic without the feeling component in making decisions
usually fail to notice the importance of using their emotions. These individuals
believe that facts, data and logic are not only superior than emotions when making
a particular decision but also always produce better decisions. Feelings are an
important component of the human existence. It is essential that you embrace and
accept feelings during a decision making process in order to ensure that you will
feel satisfied with the final decision that you have made.

                    
 
34 X TOPIC 2 CRITICAL AND CREATIVE THINKING

Alan Bean [Figure 2.4(a)] and Florence Nightingale [Figure 2.4(b)] are among the
individuals who have achieved a lot in their lives with a strong right and left brain
crossover. Alan Bean was a Navy test pilot, and the fourth man to set his foot on
the moon. His job required strong left brain to utilise logical, analytical, rational
and objective reasoning. Upon his resignation from NASA, Alan Bean became a
full time artist who painted ApolloÊs human adventure that is both visionary and
historic; a task that requires a strong right brain to employ intuitive, subjective and
holistic thinking. Florence Nightingale, a nurse by profession, exhibited the use of
both her right and left brain. She proved the importance of sanitary conditions in
healing the sick and wounded patients. She employed her left brain for this while
her nurturing qualities demonstrated the powers of her right brain.

(a) (b)
Figure 2.4: Alan Bean (a) and Florence Nightingale (b) both demonstrated strong right
and left brain crossover attributes
Sources: http://www.talentbookingusa.com/speakers/alan-bean.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florence_Nightingale

SELF-CHECK 2.5
1. „The choices of which brain is in control of which situations is what
forges our personalities and determines our character.‰ Discuss the
above statement.

2. In your opinion, does our current education system place higher

importance on the right or left brain? Suggest ways and steps that
can be taken to improve this situation.