Rock logic verses water logic
- rock logic: definitive, solid, yes/no, guilty/not guilty
- water logic: can not be separated, smooth flowing, effortless

Passive system verses active system
- passive: computers doing instructions, school boy being instructed
- active: no logical outside operator, self organizing
- humour can not occur in passive system

Lateral Thinking - the act of cutting across thinking patterns instead of running up and down them. Lateral thinking arises from a consideration of mind as a self organizing patterning system.
Creativity, humour are characteristics of lateral thinking

Evolution is by no means an efficient mechanism (because of dependence on sequence). At best
it is adequate. (20)

Provolution (21)
- change more radical than evolution
- more gradual than revolution

Argument is meant to reveal the truth, not create it. (22)

Today scholarship is much less appropriate, because we get more by look forward than by backward. (24)

Operacy involves such things as examination of consequences of action, consideration of relevant factors, assessment of priorities, attention to other peoples interests, definition of objectives .. etc.. (25)

Summary of inadequacies of traditional thinking: (26)
- we need to shift from a destructive type of thinking to a more constructive type.
- we need to change from argument to genuine exploration of the subject.
- we need to lessen the esteem in which we hold critical thinking and to place it
below constructive thinking.
- we need to match skills of analysis with an equal emphasis on the skills of design.
- we need to do as much idea-work as we do information-work. We need to realize
that the analysis of data is not enough.
- we need to shift from an obsession with history to a concern about the future.
- we need to emphasis 'operacy' as much as knowledge. The skills of doing are
as important as the skills of knowing.
- we need for the first time to realize that creative thinking is a serious and essential
part of the thinking process.
- we need to move from our exclusive concern with the logic of processing to the logic
of perception (from rock logic to water logic).
- we need to shift from cleverness to wisdom. Perception is the basis of wisdom.

The arrogance of logic means that if we have a logically impeccable argument then we must be right - "I am right - you are wrong". (27)

"PO" is taken from words like hypthesis, suppose, possible and poetry.
"PO" can also me taken to stand for "provacative operation" (94)
"PO" concept - "here me out before jumping to conclusions"
- opposite of 'why' is 'po'
- 'po' we look forward to what might be

Intuition is gradual building up of background patterns which often can not be verbalized or even made conscious. (94)

Always give the good news first. (99)

Dangerous phrase "the same as…" (105)

Adjectives are insidious and highly dangerous because they trigger emotional backgrounds which may be totally unjustified. (105)
You can not visualize adjectives like 'nice' or 'horrible' and yet people will emotionally react to them.

Patterns die through neglect and alteration in context. We strive for self organizing patterning system.

Poetry develops the operation of movement which is so essential in the creativity of lateral thinking.

Strongest belief systems usually have a lot to do with ritual. (129)

We can not conceive of what we cannot yet conceive. (141)

Research actually shows that for every dollar spent on customer service, five dollars returned in increased sales and customer loyalty. (292)

Six Thinking Hats
- White Hat for attention to pure and neutral data.
- Red Hat allows the input of intuition and feeling without need for justification.
- Black Hat which expresses logical negative, which is caution and prints out
why something can not be done.
- Yellow Hat expressing logical positive focusing on benefits and feasibility.
- Green Hat for creativity calling new ideas and further alternatives.
- Blue Hat for process control, looking not at the subject but at the thinking
about the subject.

Our Thinking System
- Human Factors (38)
- Perception (42)
- Humour (45)
- Practical Outcomes (46)

The Human Brain (31)
- improve thinking by understanding the neural network

- Validity of the model (54)
- simple models capable of behaving in complex ways
- Different Universes (59)
- wooden block of 3 people, one on earth, one under water, one in space
- Traditional Table-Top Logic (64)
- table top blocks verses waterflow patterns
- Nerve Network of the Brain (67)
- Octopuses direct stimulation to readiness
- light, music, electronic stimulation

How Perception Works (75)
- Sequence Patterns (81)
- brain works by providing an environment in which sequences of activity
become established as patterns.

- Trigger and Recognition (83)
- tattooing prisoners for ID triggers horror as some relate to Nazi tattooing POWs

- Asymmetry of Patterns (86)
- 4 kids fishing, one fish and 4 tangled lines. Start at fish end is most efficient.
- 2 old men in hell, one has beautiful girl -> one man questions the other man's
punishment as he has beautiful girl; not his punishment but hers

- Insight (93)
- insight is sudden realization, not intuition
- nature of patterning systems five rise to insight

- Learning Backwards (96)
- logic of patterning systems suggest that learning backwards might be
far more effective.

- Time Sequence (98)
- age 1-7 patterns are set and new patterns built on this base

- Catchment (100)
- tube and ball bearing and funnel
- English language is has a narrow pattern and often restrictive in expression.

- Knife-Edge Discrimination (108)
- Confidence within yourself allows for rapid recognition, perception and
judgment
- if something is 'not orange' what is it? - no set pattern for "not orange"

- Pre-Emption (112)
- if there is already a pattern established it is not possible to establish
another pattern in the same area because our mind will always swing back
to the first pattern.

- Mismatch (115)
- mismatch is the inability to settle down to an established pattern.
- examples: black eight of hearts
trout jumping up waterfall (instead of salmon)

- Readiness (116)
- There are degrees of readiness, then suddenly a threshold can be reached.
- Readiness sometimes called "threshold effect"
- Prose is communication, poetry is sensitizing.

- Context (120)
- A different context will mean that different patterns are followed.
- Table top logic with absolutes does not allow for context

- Circularity (126)
- basic function of any self-organizing pattern system.
- macro-circularities experience triggers a perception which then controls
what we see in front of us.
- basis for phobias, paranoia and belief systems
- very natural and easy phenomenon in self organizing patterning systems
- truth is often dependent on circularity

- Making Sense (130)
- putting activities together resulting in association
- example: cause and effect theories
- self-organizing patterning system will stabilize and have ability to make sense

- Attention (135)
- PMI (Plus, Minnus, Interesting Parts), OPV (Other People Involved)
- attention will be given to whatever mine is sensitized to
- direction sensititze own minds so attention flows into that area
- unitary - are area of attention at a time

- Relevance and Meaning (138)
- For there to be a meaning, there has to be a pattern. For there to be relevance,
that pattern has to have some importance.

- Zero-Hold (141)
- PO concept - "here me out before jumping to conclusions"

- Language (152)
- language dominates our thinking
- language is a marvelous as a describing system but that does not mean it is
excellent as a thinking or even a perceiving system
- fluency of style masquerades as integrity of thought (ex. SAP internet speaker)
- Simple adjective count is a good way of testing the thinking of writing or a
speech. Adjectives express emotion not the thought.

- Thinking and Intelligence (157)
- thinking is a skill, not intelligence in action
- many people with high intelligence turn out to be poor thinkers
- "intelligence trap" - better able to defend a view the less inclined to actually
explore the subject.

- Critical Thinking (164)
- easy and satisfying but produces little
- consistency is key work to critical thinking
- consistent to -science, principles, experience, perceptions, my pattern of
perception.

- Laffer Curves (168)
- something is good, more bust be better?
- excess of anything is likely harmful
- joking referred to as the 'salt curve'. No salt is bad, some salt is good, more salt
is better.

- Problem Solving (172)
- progress requires different thinking
- "if it's not broken, don't fix it" - opposite of competition, based on maintenance of
a static world.
- excludes opportunity thinking, initiative thinking, enterprise and improvement
- 'remove the cause' is based on cause and effect vs. 'design' where a new
solution is designed 'broke or not'

- Analysis (176)
- assumes all situation are closed and can not produce ideas
- 181 - knowledge is all: universities concerned with knowledge, colleges
concerned with making things happen.
- opposite of 'why' is 'po'
- 'po' we look forward to what might be

- Description (182)
- describes and sets perceptions through naming
- 'lumpers' see similarities, 'splitters' see differences
- description is not truth but perception

- Natural (187)
- nature and deep feelings is what should set our decisions
- logic freezes things into stereotypes and categories where as perceptions
are variable, and can be changed.

- Mathematics (191)
- mathematics limited and has little direct effect on human offering

- Either / Or (194)
- something may be right yet wrong under the circumstances
- we often create a concept by focusing on the opposite of something else
- either/or may impose falsity on perception in search for new category

- Absolutes (198)
- need for truth and it's multiple processes
- we are scared that without absolutes, decisions will be made
on a power basis, greed basis or special interest basis.
- absolute words - "all", "every", "none"
- "Proto-truth" is a truth we hold to be absolute so long as we are trying to
change it.
- main problem of absolutes is they claim to be circumstance-independent

- Argument and Clash (204)
- argument is a motivated exploration of a subject
- perceptions and beliefs will not be changed by argument
- movement from "argument" to "exploration"
- 'clash' is the traditional opposing elements needed.

- Belief (211)
- making sense of things
- sets perceptions that reinforce belief
- this circularity is natural function of self-organizing patterning system

- Science (213)
- methodology for testing beliefs
- driven by cause and effect
- science identifies and isolates cause to understand process and perhaps
remove.

- Creativity (217)
- neglected
- creativity (in lateral thinking) is not a natural process

- History (220)
- obsession
- derived from what future progress could be obtained by looking backwards

- Logic (223)
- we use little explicit logic in everyday thinking
- most harmful aspect of everyday "implicit" logic would be the habit of using
either/or's and their use in judgment.

- Art (227)
- reflecting and changing existing perceptions, but does not encourage
perceptual skills
- once a trend is started, art can quickly accelerate that trend.

Thinking in Society Institutions

- Change (237)
- Progress is due to unreasonable people - they want change. - Bernard Shaw
- Society is a self organizing system

- The Next Step (241)
- determined by where we are not where we want to be
- 'edge effect' - if you can not take the first step, the rest is impossible.
- water will find the easiest direction
- we pursue what is easiest, relevant and rewarded

- Full Up (244)
- teach operation thinking skills in order to apply the information we have
- time, space and resources are committed

- Education (246)
- the fact that thinking is being used does not mean that thinking skills is being
taught
- real world requires "operacy" not just analysis and critical thinking
- education is reluctant to teach "thinking skills" because they are locked into
limited view of what thinking is about

- Ludecy (249)
- new word meaning "playing of the game to the way the rules were written"
- lawyers make money on playing the legal game

- Short Term Thinking (252)
- much of our thinking is short term because rules are written that way.
- if rules of the game require short term thinking, ludecy will evolve short
term thinking.

- Democracy (254)
- designed to get consensus, and prevents things from happening

- Pragmatism (257)
- flexible application of principles
- pragmatism has nothing to offer the rigidity and convenience of principles

- Bureaucracy (260)
- purpose of bureaucracy is to avoid mistakes
- bureaucracy was never designed as a change mechanism but to implement
things as they are

- Compartments (262)
- one trend towards increased specialization
- another trend towards unifying understanding

- Universities (264)
- educational, cultural, research role
- based in history
- dominating use of intelligence
-same resources applied in different way might do a better job.

- Communication (266)
-single most important barrier to progress
- no truth in media

- Packaging (268)
- no one listens to what you have to say, they react to you as a person.

Criticisms: - book was more clinical and philosophical than practical
- author was tad egotistical
- for an individual who puts little value on history, it is ironic that he refers to
Medieval theology, Greek and Roman times a great deal.

Positives: - Relating to magician
- counts on us to use reason and implanted logical thinking while he uses
perception.
- enjoyed the wooden block puzzle (one on earth, one under water, one
in space)
- Insight
- relate to insight as working on complex programs, walking away and
then determining the solution.
- not intuition, intuition is more of a gut feel

- History (220)
- high school argued with teacher that History is relevant due
to dynamic constantly changing world we live in.