Lateral Thinking

Rev: June 2022

Lateral thinking – Exercise

VII
Add a single line to turn this into an eight

3
 Lateral thinking
Lateral thinking -–Exercise
Exercise

IX

Add a single line to turn this into a six

4
 Lateral thinking – Solutions

Solutions

1. SIX
2. IX6

5
Can You Solve this Puzzle?
Solution
 Can You Solve this Puzzle?
Acting on an anonymous phone call, the police raid
a house to arrest a suspected
MURDERER .
They don’t know what he looks like, but they do
know that his name is John Brown. Inside they find
a doctor, an engineer, a financial analyst and a
teacher playing cards.

The police entered the room and immediately

arrested the engineer. How did they know that they
•
have got the murderer.
 Solution

The other three

players were
women
 Can You Solve this?
By moving just one glass, can you arrange the
glasses so that the full and empty glasses alternate?

1.
 Can You Think ?

How could a baby fall out of a

twenty-storey building onto the
ground and survive?
You are in a race, you just overtook the # 2
runner. What position are you in?

1. You have been given capital punishment. You have a choice: a room with
20 cannibals, or a room with a lion who hasn’t eaten in three months,
2. You are driving a bus and there are 13 men and 5 women.
You are in a race, you just overtook the last
runner. What position are you in?
 Lateral Thinking
Lateral Thinking : solving problems through
 An indirect and creative approach;
 Using reasoning that is not immediately obvious; &
 Involving ideas that may not be obtainable by using only
traditional step-by-step logic.
-
Lateral Thinking: Cutting across and escaping existing patterns

Coined in 1967 by Edward de Bono he defines it as methods

of thinking concerned with changing concepts and
perception.
 Lateral Thinking
• An Idea generation and problem-solving technique in which
new concepts are created by looking at things in novel ways.
• The logical ('vertical') thinking carries a chosen idea forward;
• The lateral (‘sideways’) thinking provokes fresh ideas
 or changes the frame of reference;
• Vertical thinking tries to overcome problems
by meeting them head-on ;
• Lateral thinking tries to bypass them through a radically
different approach;
http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/lateral-thinking.html
 Vertical thinking Vs Lateral thinking
Vertical thinking Lateral thinking

1. Take a position 1. Take a position

2. Develop arguments 2. Put forward different views :

which are: • not derived from each other
• related to 1 • all correct
• derived from 1 • all coexisting

Area of focus Area of focus

Truth Possibilities,
Logic Alternatives,
“What is” What “might be” 2
 Lateral Thinking Example

It took two hours for two men to dig a

hole five feet deep.

How deep would the hole have been if ten

men had dug for two hours?

Please think & reply

 But did you consider…? 1

• A hole may need to be of a certain size or

shape so digging might stop early at a required
depth.

• The deeper a hole is, the more effort is

required to dig it, since waste soil needs to be
lifted higher to the ground level. There is a
limit to how deep a hole can be dug by
manpower without use of ladders or hoists for
soil removal, and 25 feet is beyond this limit.
 But did you consider…? 2
• Deeper soil layers may be harder to dig out, or
we may hit bedrock or the water table.
• Are we digging in soil? Clay? Sand? Each
presents its own special considerations.
• Digging in a forest becomes much easier once
we have cut through the first several feet of
roots.
• Each man digging needs space to use a shovel.
 But did you consider…? 3
• It is possible that with more people working
on a project, each person may become less
efficient due to increased opportunity for
distraction, the assumption he can slack off,
more people to talk to, etc.

• More men could work in shifts to dig faster for

longer.

• There are more men but are there more

shovels?
 But did you consider…? 4
• The two hours dug by ten men may be under
different weather conditions than the two
hours dug by two men.

• Rain could flood the hole to prevent digging.

• Temperature conditions may freeze the men

before they finish.

• Would we rather have 5 holes each 5 feet

deep?
 But did you consider…? 5
• The two men may be an engineering crew
with digging machinery.

• What if one man in each group is a manager

who will not actually dig?

• The extra eight men might not be strong

enough to dig, or much stronger than the first
two.
 What is Lateral Thinking?

• Lateral thinking is about reasoning that is not

immediately obvious

• Ideas may not be obtainable by using only

traditional step-by-step logic.

• Techniques that apply lateral thinking to

problems are characterized by the shifting of
thinking patterns away from entrenched or
predictable thinking to new or unexpected
ideas.
 Some Sobering Thoughts

• A new idea that is the result of lateral thinking

is not always a helpful one

• When a good idea is discovered in this way it

is usually obvious in hindsight
Exercise
Remove 2 matchsticks from this figure
to make 2 squares remain

Lifted from Jlapitan’s presentation

Solution
 Exercise
n:
If you haven’t seen this problem before, you were
stymied because you made certain assumptions that
limited your rage of answers.

Let us see the solution, which is the common/ popular

one,

Then let us see what Lateral thinking ability and training

would have led us to!
Solution – The classic
Another Solution:
Yet Another Solution:
And One More Solution:
And Yet One More!:
And Another !!!
 Lateral thinking – Summing up
The brain is not intended for creative thinking

The brain’s power is in forming patterns

and sticking to these patterns
SO
To become creative you need to block
normal channels and “cut across patterns
in a self-organizing information system”

Creativity produces new ideas & new products;

1
Education mainly concerns itself with right & wrong
Thank You
 Lateral thinking – Explained

• Mind is like mud – grooves are formed where

water/thoughts run. Need to form new
avenues

• “Discovery consists of looking at the same

thing as everyone else and thinking something
different”
Nobel Laureate:Albert Szent-Gyorgyi,
Lateral thinking – Tools

1. The six thinking hats

2. Provocation

3. Random inputs

4. Synectics

6
Lateral thinking – Rationale & Process

Rationale Process

Cooperative exploration Meeting of several people

replaces adversarial
thinking Deliberate “putting on” of
different hats i.e. different
Ego factors are removed attitudes

Negativity is “not allowed” Everyone wears each hat

simultaneously

Hats are changed during

meeting
7
Lateral thinking – Tools

1. The six thinking hats

2. Provocation

3. Random inputs

4. Synectics

6
 The Six Thinking Hats
• “Six Thinking Hats” is an important and
powerful technique.

• It is used to look at decisions from a number

of important perspectives.
 The Six Thinking Hats

• This forces you to move outside your habitual

thinking style, and helps you to get a more
rounded view of a situation.
• It has the benefit of blocking the confrontations
that happen when people with different
thinking styles discuss the same problem.
• Each 'Thinking Hat' is a different style of
thinking.
 The Six Thinking Hats

• Many successful people think from a very rational,

positive viewpoint. This is part of the reason that they
are successful.

• Often, though, they may fail to look at a problem from

an emotional, intuitive, creative or negative viewpoint.

• This can mean that they underestimate resistance to

plans, fail to make creative leaps and do not make
essential contingency plans. 
 The Six Thinking Hats

• Similarly, pessimists may be excessively defensive,

and more emotional people may fail to look at
decisions calmly and rationally.

• If you look at a problem with the 'Six Thinking Hats'

technique, then you will solve it using all approaches.

• Your decisions and plans will mix ambition, skill in

execution, public sensitivity, creativity and good
contingency planning.
 The Six Thinking Hats

Sequence is not fixed, but often it is:

1 White – information
2 Green – ideas
3 Yellow – benefits of ideas
4 Black – evaluation
5 Red – feelings
6 Blue – conclusions

Video: de Bono’s video: How to have a beautiful

mind - @ 16 minutes
 The Six Thinking Hats

White hat Red hat Black hat

Association White paper: Fire, warmth Strict judge, intolerant
neutral of wrong doers
carrier of
information
Area of focus Data and Feelings, Critical judgement
information intuition

Questions/discussion What info do we This is what I feel The regulations don’t

topic have? My gut feel is that allow
What info is I don’t like the way He doesn’t have the
missing? My intuition tells me experience
Where will we get Those prices won’t be
it? profitable
How will we get it? We won’t fill capacity

Source Edward de Bono 8

 The Six Thinking Hats

White hat Red hat Black hat

Association Strict judge, intolerant
White paper: neutral Fire, warmth of wrong doers
carrier of information
Area of focus Data and Feelings, Critical judgement
information intuition

Questions/ What info we have? This is what I feel The regulations don’t
discussion What info is missing? My gut feel is that allow
topic
Where will we get it? I don’t like the way He doesn’t have the
How will we get it? My intuition tells experience
me Those prices won’t be
profitable
We won’t fill capacity
Source Edward de Bono 8
 The Six Thinking Hats

Yellow hat Green hat Blue hat

Association Sunshine Vegetation, Sky
Optimism Rich growth Overview
Logical, positive
view
Area of focus Benefits (logically Creative thinking Agenda
based) New ideas Next steps
Feasibility Additional alternatives Process control
Questions/discussionThis would work Are there alternatives? Let’s summarize
topic if we did X Could there be another views
The benefit would reason? Let’s look at
come from Y What is a creative priorities
High labour costs solution The points to discuss
mean a lower are...
workforce
9
Source Edward de Bono
 The Six Thinking Hats

White Hat The info

• With this thinking hat you focus on the data

available. Look at the information you have, and
see what you can learn from it.
• Look for gaps in your knowledge, and either try to
fill them or take account of them.
• This is where you analyze past trends, and try to
extrapolate from historical data.
 The Six Thinking Hats
Red Hat Feelings

• 'Wearing' the red hat, you look at problems using

intuition, gut reaction, and emotion.

• Also try to think how other people will react

emotionally.

• Try to understand the responses of people who do not

fully know your reasoning.
 The Six Thinking Hats
Black Hat Evaluation

• Using black hat thinking, look at all the bad

points of the decision.
• Look at it cautiously and defensively.
• Try to see why it might not work. This is
important because it highlights the weak
points in a plan.
• It allows you to eliminate them, alter them, or
prepare contingency plans to counter them.
 The Six Thinking Hats

Black Hat Evaluation

• Many successful people get so used to

thinking positively that often they cannot
see problems in advance.

• This leaves them under-prepared for

difficulties.
 The Six Thinking Hats

Black Hat Evaluation

• Black Hat thinking helps to make your plans

'tougher' and more resilient.
• It can also help you to spot fatal flaws and
risks before you embark on a course of action.
• Black Hat thinking is one of the real benefits of
this technique.
 The Six Thinking Hats

Yellow Hat Benefits of Ideas

• The yellow hat helps you to think positively.

• It is the optimistic viewpoint that helps you to
see all the benefits of the decision and the
value in it.
• Yellow Hat thinking helps you to keep going
when everything looks gloomy and difficult.
 The Six Thinking Hats

Green Hat Ideas

• The Green Hat stands for creativity.

• This is where you can develop creative solutions
to a problem.
• It is a freewheeling way of thinking, in which
there is little criticism of ideas.
 The Six Thinking Hats
Blue Hat Conclusions
• The Blue Hat stands for process control.
• This is the hat worn by people chairing
meetings.
• When running into difficulties because ideas
are running dry, they may direct activity into
Green Hat thinking.
• When contingency plans are needed, they will
ask for Black Hat thinking, etc.
The Six Thinking Hats - Evaluation

“ + ” Takes people away from normal

attitudes

“ + ” Easy to use

“- ” Participants often feel very awkward

and ill at ease initially

10
Thank You
 Provocation

Provocation: an absurdity which takes you

out of your main line of thought

Examples;

• You close the letter after you post it

• Restaurants do not charge for food

• Police have 6 eyes

11
 Provocation - Process

1. Set up a provocation

2. “Move” forward from the provocation

by e.g.

• Extracting a principle
• Focusing on the difference
• Look for the benefits

3. Arrive at an original idea

12
 Provocation - Process
1.Set up a provocation eg bring back the town crier – used for ad
company

2.“Move” forward from the provocation by e.g.

• Extracting a principle – what does the town crier do?

goes to thee people
changes message according to audience
can’t be switched off
• Focusing on the difference
• Look for the benefits

3.Arrive at an original idea – idea was to have adverts on pagers cos

they can’t be switched off and can also be tailored to individuals
12
 Provocation - Process
1.Set up a provocation eg employees should wear stripy shirts if
they want promotion

2 & 3.“Move” forward from the provocation arrive at original idea

by e.g.

• Extracting a principle –be open about career ambitions  frank

feedback for those who want it

•Focusing on the difference – clear to everyone what you want 

shd you only invest training in those who are ambitious?

• Look for the benefits – self-fulfilling ie those who’ve said they
want promotion are more keen therefore put them in tougher jobs
where they can prove themselves and be promoted 12
 Provocation - Process
1.Set up a provocation eg bring back the town crier – used for ad
company

2.“Move” forward from the provocation by e.g.

• Extracting a principle – what does the town crier do?

goes to thee people
changes message according to audience
can’t be switched off
• Focusing on the difference
• Look for the benefits

3.Arrive at an original idea – idea was to have adverts on pagers cos

they can’t be switched off and can also be tailored to individuals
12
 Provocation - Process
1.Set up a provocation eg bring back the town crier – used for ad
company

2.“Move” forward from the provocation by e.g.

• Extracting a principle – what does the town crier do?

goes to the people
changes message according to audience
can’t be switched off
• Focusing on the difference
• Look for the benefits

3.Arrive at an original idea – idea was to have adverts on pagers cos

they can’t be switched off and can also be tailored to individuals
12
 Provocation - Sources
Source Example Result
1. Chance/accidents radio waves can Concept of radar
shoot down planes
2. “Escape” from the Development of
normal i.e. cancel, restaurants do diners card
negate, drop, remove, not charge for food
deny, all that you take
for granted Development of
neighborhood
3. Exaggeration Police have 6 watch
eyes
Concept of direct
4. Distortion you close the letter mail sent in
after you post it private mail13
Provocation - Evaluation

“ + ” Good for thinking radical new

thoughts

“ - ” Difficult to apply and uncomfortable

for many

“ - ” Time consuming in becoming familiar

with the toolkit

14
 Random Input

Process Evaluation

Take a problem Easy to do

Apply a random input Works for a group or an

• word individual
• image
Take the first characteristic Produces new thinking
that comes to mind
Develop solution Can feel uncomfortable

[NOTE: Do not link the

Random word to previous ideas]
15
 Synectics
Synectics is a problem solving methodology that
stimulates thought processes of which the
subject may be unaware. It states that: 
• The creative process can be described and
taught;
• Invention processes in arts and sciences are
analogous and are driven by the same
"psychic" processes;
• Individual and group creativity are analogous.
 Need for Creativity

We need it... …but we lack it

Creativity produces new • The brain is not naturally

ideas in: creative

Science • Education is mainly

Arts concerned with “right”
Business and “wrong”
Leisure
etc, etc, etc...

16
• Humour is the most significant dimension of brain - Edward de Bono
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3MIBcYQtKQ
• Edward de Bono's Thinking Course Lecture 1 - Thinking is a Skill - Part
1 of 3.flv
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFFZ0XSfCRw
• Edward de Bono's Thinking Course Lecture 2 Alternatives Part 1 of 3
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dR5ImMoa2_U
• Edward de Bono's Thinking Course Lecture 3 Perception and Patterns
Part 2 of 3 (9.16 min)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBpiStwfS5Q
• DeBono Lecture 4:
http://www.youtube .com/watch?v=AUq_AL2LNEw
• Edward de Bono 'How to have a beautiful mind' at Mind & Its
Potential 2011 (25.37 mins)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbsKQQGwsMg
 Quizzes
1. Mary’s mum has four children. The first child is
called April. The second May. The third June.
What is the name of the fourth child?
2. Two men are playing tennis together. After three
full sets, both of them win. How is this possible?
3. There are three switches down­­stairs, each
controlling one of the three lightbulbs in the attic.
You can turn the switches on and off and leave
them in any position, but you are only allowed
one trip upstairs. How would you identify which
switch controls which light bulb?
 Quizzes
4. An Arab sheikh tells his two sons to race their camels to a
distant city to see who will inherit his fortune. The one
whose camel is slower wins. After wandering aimlessly
for days, the brothers ask a wise man for guidance. After
hearing his advice, they jump on the camels and race to
the city as fast as they can. So what advice did the wise
man offer to them?
5. Isla comes across a lion and a unicorn in a forest. The lion
lies every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and speaks
the truth on the other days. Meanwhile, the unicorn lies
on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, but speaks the
truth every other day. The lion says: “Yesterday I was
lying.” The unicorn says: “So was I.” What day is it?
 Quizzes

6. A man encountered a bear in a wasteland. There

was nobody else there. Both were frightened and
ran away. The man ran to the north, the bear to the
west. Suddenly the fellow stopped, aimed his gun to
the south and shot the bear. What colour was the
bear?
7. Alia has 12 black socks and 12 white socks in her
drawer. Without looking, how many socks must she
take from the drawer to be sure she has a matching
pair.
 Quizzes

8. A man lives on the 10th floor and always takes

the lift to the ground floor on his way out. When
he comes home on a rainy day, or when there are
other people in the lift, he goes straight to the
10th floor. Otherwise he gets out on the 7th floor
and climbs the stairs to the 10th floor, even if he
is in a hurry. Why?
9. A writer was 50 years old in the year 2000, but 40
years old in the year 2010. How is this possible?
 Quizzes

10. A doctor gives his patient five tablets and tells

him to take one every 15 minutes. How long
will it take him to take all five tablets?
11. A cowboy rode into town on Thursday, stayed
for four nights and rode out on Thursday. How
is this possible?
12. A sweet shop lets customers swap five choc
bar wrappers for a choc bar. Kevin collects 25
wrappers. How many choc bars can he get?