Some quick notes on Lateral Thinking

How to escape existing patterns

1. Accident (by chance)
2. by Mistake
3. Humour (DeBono on Humour: Humour is on the most significant characteristics of the mind. )
4. Lateral Thinking

Humour is an asymmetric patterning system

Lateral Thinking

• use 'movement ' instead of judgement 
• PO (provocative operation) is a movement value 
• Provocation: you can say something which is stupid 
• idea is a stepping stone 
• take something that we take for granted and escape from it 
• come in from a random point 
• Intelligence is like the horsepower of the car. Thinking is like the skill of the driver 

Vertical Thinking vs. Lateral Thinking 

• towards a solution  vs. one moves for the sake of moving 
• design experiment to show an effect vs. design experiment to provide an opportunity to change one's ideas 
• some direction vs. without direction 
• I know what I am looking for vs. I am looking but I won't know what I am looking for until I have found it 
• analytical vs. provocative 
• sequential vs. can make jumps 
• selection by exclusion vs. welcomes outside influence for provocative influence 
• fixed categories and labels vs. labels change 
• most likey paths vs. explore least likely. 

Insights is brought about by alternations in pattern sequence brought about by provocative stimulation and lateral thinking provides such stimulation 

Pattern 

is the arrangement of information on the memory surface that is the mind 

Problem 

is simply the difference of what one has and what one wants 

1. avoiding something 

2. getting something 

3. getting rid of something 

Lateral Thinking Techniques 

Fractionation - very similar to Brainstorming
Reverse Method - basically revert your assumptions and see what other perspectives it brings

Example for Reverse method

Going on Holiday 

• Holiday goes on ... maybe take one day of permantently ? Holiday is not a temporary thing but something which happens permanently in the mind 
• Holiday One, mabybe together, as a family ? 
• Holiday with uniformity of surroundings 
• etc. 

Jesus lives 

• Jesus is dead .. maybe for me personally in my life, so that I should reconsider my relation to Jesus 
• Life is Jesus 
• Jesus death ... makes me think of the cross and resurrection 
• Jesus not live .. maybe we should do live music worship 

Random Stimulus 

the word is Holiday, now use a random word as a PO https://randomword.com/

• Holiday PO bee --> maybe a holiday in the nature with a beekeeper 
• Holiday PO  noctiflorous (flowering at night)