The Art Of Thinking In Systems: Improve Your Logic, Think More Critically, And Use Proven Systems To Solve Your Problems Strategic Planning For Everyday Life pdfdrive com

Lateral Thinking
[vi]
Lateral thinking involves more creative thinking that isn’t immediately obvious

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to those who rely heavily upon traditional step-by-step, logical thinking to reach
conclusions. Lateral thinking was invented by Edward De Bono in 1967. He
developed techniques for creative thinking to counteract the natural tendency of
the human brain to want to lock in our thinking until it becomes an automatic,
subconscious habit.
Lateral thinking strives to generate new and innovative ideas in a way that we
can easily repeat over time. Lateral thinking is beneficial when you are trying to
get beyond thinking of problems as having one set solution and want to expand
your thinking beyond the patterns you have typically thought in. It is particularly
helpful in brainstorming sessions and when the desired outcome is invention or
innovation.
The disadvantage with lateral thinking is that a clear objective and ending point
may not be identified. This type of thinking lacks some of the structure and goals
that other types of thinking capitalize on. The nature of lateral thinking is that no
idea is discouraged, so all ideas are initially given the same weight, even if they
are inappropriate. This may cost you precious time or get the problem-solving
process off track.
Critical Thinking
[vii]
Critical thinking involves analyzing facts in an objective manner so that a
judgment can be reached. It also often entails thinking about your thinking and
reflecting on the way you are reaching decisions in order to overcome any biases
and improve the quality and efficiency of your cognition.
Critical thinking is effective when you are trying to find logical connections
between ideas. Critical thinkers don’t accept things at face value; they dig deeper
to be sure that there is rational thought and solid reasoning behind any
information they are presented with before they accept it as true. It is highly
beneficial when a systematic approach to solving a problem is needed.

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This type of thinking is very helpful in many ways. It may just need to be
monitored to make sure that it isn’t taken to an extreme. Healthy skepticism and
a questioning of points of view is an important life skill, as long as the
skepticism and questioning of authority is with good reason and backed up by
facts.