Conflicts: A Better Way to Resolve Them

213 Pages·2018·1.42 MB·English

CONTENTS
Cover
About the Book
About the Author
Title Page
Edward De Bono Editor’s Note
Prologue
Introduction
PART I The Way the Mind Works and Modes of Thinking
1 Why We Need to Know How the Mind Works
2 What Is Wrong With Argument
3 Map-making, Thinking and Think-2
4 Fight, Negotiate, Problem-solve or Design?
PART II Why Do People Disagree?
5 Because They See Things Differently
6 Because They Want Different Things
7 Because Their Thinking Style Encourages Them To
8 Because They Are Supposed To
PART III Creativity, Design and the Third Party Role
9 Design
10 Why Disputants are in the Worst Position to Solve Their Dispute
11 Continuity
12 Objectives, Benefits and Values
13 Creativity
14 The Third-party Role in Conflict Thinking
PART IV Conflict
15 Conflict Models
16 Conflict Factors
17 Conflict Attitudes
PART V Structures For Conflict Resolution
18 Why Existing Structures Are Inadequate For Conflict Resolution
19 SITO
Epilogue
Index
Copyright
ABOUT THE BOOK
Think, don’t fight.
In today’s world we use an out of date thinking system to navigate our way
through modern society, especially when it comes to conflicts and
disagreements.
Conflicts argues that instead of our age old system of debate we should adopt
what de Bono calls a ‘design idiom’ and use lateral thinking to navigate a feud.
If two parties think their argument is best, we should be introducing a third party
role. De Bono explains how this concept of triangular thinking and map making
is the way forward.
By highlighting how the current system holds us back and offering practical
alternatives De Bono paves the way for a fundamental shift in conflict
resolution.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Edward de Bono studied at Christ Church, Oxford (as a Rhodes Scholar). He
also holds a PhD from Cambridge and an MD from the University of Malta. He
has held appointments at the universities of Oxford, London, Cambridge and
Harvard.
In 1967 de Bono invented the now commonly used term ‘lateral thinking’ and,
for many thousands, indeed millions, of people worldwide, his name has since
become a symbol of creativity and new thinking. He has written numerous
books, which have been translated into 34 languages, and his advice is sought by
Nobel laureates and world leaders alike.
www.debono.com

EDWARD DE BONO EDITOR’S NOTE

Edward de Bono is the leading authority in the field of creative thinking and the
publishers are delighted to be bringing this thought-provoking work back into
print.
The author was writing in a different political and social era, and many of the
examples he cites offer a snapshot of this time; the Falklands War was fresh in
people’s minds, the Thatcher government was in power and miners’ strikes and
riots were an everyday reality. However, though there have been considerable
changes – politically, socially and economically – over the last thirty years or so,
this important book explores key issues which still require attention, even in
today’s fast-paced world, and many parallels can be drawn with life today. The
fundamental principles and themes in this book will encourage us to change the
way we think; as the author himself says, ‘In a rapidly changing world we are
finding that our thinking is inadequate to meet the demands put on it’.
Edward de Bono’s teaching is as valid today as when this book was first
published, and will resonate with readers for many years to come.
PROLOGUE

We do have to accept that our methods of solving major disputes and conflicts
have been crude and primitive, inadequate and expensive, dangerous and
destructive. The increasing complexity of the world and the increasing power of
our weaponry force us to rethink our conflict-solving methods.
Even if we were to operate our traditional methods with the best will in the
world and with the highest available intelligence, these methods would not
suffice. There is a need for a fundamental shift in our thinking approach to the
resolution of conflicts.
In this book I do not presume to set down an instant answer but I intend to
indicate a road along which, I believe, we must travel. I shall go further and
indicate some of the first steps that can be taken.
Amongst these first steps is a reappraisal of our esteemed argument/clash type
of thinking. I shall attempt to point out the attractions, dangers and limitations of
this traditional method. I shall suggest that conflict thinking about conflict is
inadequate and that we must shift to the ‘design’ type of thinking with its
creative input.
I find no villains but intelligent people locked by the logic and continuity of
their positions into the argument/clash mode. It is unfortunate that the parties
most directly involved in a dispute may be in the worst position to settle the
dispute – this is as if the Bondi Beach lifeguards were all unable to swim.
There are three roads to conflict resolution: fight/litigate; negotiate/bargain;
design a way out. Only the first two are available to the disputants. The design
road demands a third party that can look at the situation from the third party
angle. For this reason I introduce the concept of ‘triangular thinking’. This third
party is neither judge nor negotiator but a creative designer.
You can propel a heavy ball across a sponge surface by pushing the ball or by
depressing the surface just ahead of the ball, thus leading it forward. That has
always been the power of ideas.
We do have to accept that our methods of solving disputes and conflicts are
crude and primitive, inadequate and costly, dangerous and destructive.
Even if we operate these methods with the best will in the world and with the
highest intelligence, they will not suffice. There is a need for a fundamental shift
in our approach to the resolution of conflicts.
INTRODUCTION

An Aztec priest slices open the chest of the living victim with a knife made of
lava glass. The victim is held arched backwards over a stone altar in order to
separate the ribs. The priest plunges in his hand, tears out the victim’s heart and
holds it aloft. The heart continues to pulsate and squirm in the priest’s hands.
The discarded victim’s body is tossed down the steps of the pyramid.
From our standpoint today that behaviour may seem cruel and primitive. From
the standpoint of that time, the behaviour was glorious and noble and most
enthusiastic (in the true sense of that word: ‘with God’).
Can we conceive a time when our descendants will look back in just such a
manner, to regard as cruel and primitive the way in which we now seek to solve
disputes and conflicts by killing people on rather a large scale? The
technological sophistication with which that is carried out will not disguise the
primitiveness of the underlying principle.
The next and last war is logically inevitable. I use the word ‘last’ both in the
horrific sense of considerable destruction and also in the logical sense of the
‘last’ of a series.
There was a time when family fought family. Then tribe fought tribe. City
fought city in Greece and later in Italy. Then nations became the fighting units.
As weapons increased in power so the units became bigger. As the expense of
war increased only bigger units could afford it. As communication technology
improved, cultures and values became more uniform. In Europe today it would
be unthinkable for England to declare war on France or for Germany to attack
Austria. Yet, less than a lifetime ago, wars on this scale were very thinkable. The
superpower bloc is the next logical progression. After that the technology of
communication, the interlocking of economies and the cost of war should make
the idiom obsolete on any major scale.
Do we have to proceed through this logical inevitability or can we bypass it?
Consider a heavy ball bearing suspended by a cord directly above a delicate
crystal goblet. The cord is on fire. There is a certain logical inevitability that the
glass is due to be shattered. The components are in place and if they work out
their destiny according to present behaviour the ball will fall on the glass and
shatter it. Something untoward might happen: a breeze may extinguish the fire.