anguage points 6 The normal Western approach to a problem is to fight it. The saying, When the going gets tough, the tough get going, "is typical of this aggressive attitude toward problem-solving. No matter what the problem is, or the techniques available for solving it, the framework produced by our Western way of thinking is fight. Dr. de Bono calls this vertical thinking; the traditional, sequential, Aristotelian thinking of logic, moving firmly from one step to the next, like toy blocks being built one on top of the other. The flaw is of course, that if at any point one of the steps is not reached, or one of the toy blocks is incorrectly placed, then the whole structure collapses. Impasse is reached, and frustration, tension, feelings of fight take over 心
6 The normal Western approach to a problem is to fight it. The saying, ‘‘When the going gets tough, the tough get going,’’ is typical of this aggressive attitude toward problem-solving. No matter what the problem is, or the techniques available for solving it, the framework produced by our Western way of thinking is fight. Dr. de Bono calls this vertical thinking; the traditional, sequential, Aristotelian thinking of logic, moving firmly from one step to the next, like toy blocks being built one on top of the other. The flaw is, of course, that if at any point one of the steps is not reached, or one of the toy blocks is incorrectly placed, then the whole structure collapses. Impasse is reached, and frustration, tension, feelings of fight take over. Language Points
anguage points 7 Lateral thinking Dr de bono says, is a new technique of thinking about things a technique that avoids this fight altogether, and solves the problem in an entirely unexpected fashion. 8 In one of sherlock Holmess cases, his assistant, Dr Watson ointed out that a certain dog was of no importance to the case because it did not appear to have done anything. Sherlock Holmes took the opposite point of view and maintained that the fact the dog had done nothing was of the utmost significance, for it should have been expected to do something, and on this basis he solved the case 心
7 Lateral thinking, Dr. de Bono says, is a new technique of thinking about things — a technique that avoids this fight altogether, and solves the problem in an entirely unexpected fashion. 8 In one of Sherlock Holmes’s cases, his assistant, Dr. Watson, pointed out that a certain dog was of no importance to the case because it did not appear to have done anything. Sherlock Holmes took the opposite point of view and maintained that the fact the dog had done nothing was of the utmost significance, for it should have been expected to do something, and on this basis he solved the case. Language Points
anguage points 9 Lateral thinking sounds simple and it is. once you have solved a problem laterally, you wonder how you could ever have been hund up on it. The key is making that vital shift in emphasis, that sidestepping of the problem, instead of attacking it head-on. 10 Dr. A. A. Bridger, psychiatrist at Columbia University and in private practice in New York, explains how lateral thinking works with his patients. Many people come to me wanting to stop smoking, for instance, " he says. Most people fail when they are trying to stop smoking because they wind up telling themselves, FNo.I will not smoke: no shall not smoke: no i will not no cannot., It's a fight and what happens is you end up smoking more 心
9 Lateral thinking sounds simple. And it is. Once you have solved a problem laterally, you wonder how you could ever have been hung up on it. The key is making that vital shift in emphasis, that sidestepping of the problem, instead of attacking it head-on. 10 Dr. A. A. Bridger, psychiatrist at Columbia University and in private practice in New York, explains how lateral thinking works with his patients. ‘‘Many people come to me wanting to stop smoking, for instance,’’ he says. ‘‘Most people fail when they are trying to stop smoking because they wind up telling themselves, ‘No, I will not smoke; no, I shall not smoke; no, I will not; no, I cannot...’ It’s a fight and what happens is you end up smoking more. Language Points
anguage points 11 "So instead of looking at the problem from the old ways of no, and fighting it, I show them a whole new point of view -that you are your body's keeper, and your body is something through which you experience life. If you stop to think about it, there's really something helpless about your body. It can do nothing for itself. It has no choice, it is like a baby,'s body you begin then a whole new way of looking at it- am now going to take care of myself, and give myself some respect and protection, by not smoking 心
11 ‘‘So instead of looking at the problem from the old ways of no, and fighting it, I show them a whole new point of view — that you are your body’s keeper, and your body is something through which you experience life. If you stop to think about it, there’s really something helpless about your body. It can do nothing for itself. It has no choice, it is like a baby’s body. You begin then a whole new way of looking at it — ‘I am now going to take care of myself, and give myself some respect and protection, by not smoking.’ Language Points
anguage points 2 There is a Japanese parable about a donkey tied to a pole by a rope. The rope rubs tight against his neck. The more the donkey fights and pulls on the rope, the tighter and tighter it gets around his throat-until he winds up dead. On the other hand, as soon as he stops fighting he finds that the rope gets slack, he can walk around, maybe find some grass to eat. That's the same principle: The more you fight something the more anxious you become-the more you're involved in a bad pattern, the more difficult it is to escape pain. 心
12 ‘‘There is a Japanese parable about a donkey tied to a pole by a rope. The rope rubs tight against his neck. The more the donkey fights and pulls on the rope, the tighter and tighter it gets around his throat — until he winds up dead. On the other hand, as soon as he stops fighting, he finds that the rope gets slack, he can walk around, maybe find some grass to eat... That’s the same principle: The more you fight something the more anxious you become — the more you’re involved in a bad pattern, the more difficult it is to escape pain. Language Points