First 3, than 6 and finally 4 hats

This is the second part – introductory – to my Problem Solving System. It is actually about MODES OF THINKING. Essential, but very simple.

I have met the “hat metaphor” very late- the local cultures do not

accept that hats can change your thinking and personality. I heard it first from an US PVC specialist who told me at the official dinner (before getting very drunk) that he is using three hats- one makes him very American, the second brings him back in the tradition of his Chinese ancestors; the third makes him a dedicated professional/scientist..

Actually he came to us with many prejudices, considering that we are technically some kind of Ouagdougou. It was a pleasure to give him a lesson so he could see that his 3^rd hat is not staying so well on his head.

I noticed the metaphor of hats but still have not adopted it. Many years later the potential of Edward de Bono’s Six Hat system http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Six_Thinking_Hats has convinced me

that the metaphor has creative value.

However, before this new discovery I have worked out and published – very soon after the events of December ’89 my own

taxonomy of thinking modes. There are only four  modes: prelogical, logical, superlogical and postlogical. Four hats. but much better 4 brain functionalities. I will present you an up-to-dated version of the paper: “Creative and non-creative thinking modes in scientific research” - extended to many aspects of our existence.