Developing Lifetime Action Plans: Vertical Versus Lateral Thinking
An Excerpt From the Curriculum of the 4th Grapevine
The search for alternative ways of looking at things is not natural. The natural
tendency of the mind is to become impressed by the most probable interpretation
and then proceed from that point.
- "Instead of moving an airplane through the air so that the wings may build uplift,
keep the body of the plane still and only move the wings through the air, as in
a helicopter."
- "A hen is only an egg's way of making another egg."
- "From a hayloft, a horse looks like a violin."
- "You can put the child in the playpen to prevent the Christmas tree from being pulled
to shreds; or you can put the tree in the playpen."
- "During play, ideas suggest themselves and then breed further ideas. The ideas do not follow one another in a logical progression; but if the mind makes no attempt
to direct the ideas and is curious enough to pursue them, there will always be enough
ideas – often there will be too many."
| CRIB SHEET |
| Vertical Thinking |
Versus |
Lateral Thinking |
Selective
Needs Direction
Analytical
Sequential
Must Be Correct
JUses Negatives
Excludes Irrelevant
Fixed Categories
Likely Paths
Finite Process |
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-
-
-
-
-
-
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-
- |
Generative
Creates Direction
Provocative
Jumps
May or May Not Be Correct
There Are No Negatives
Welcomes Chance Intrusions
No Categories
Unlikely Paths
Probablistic Process |
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