Lateral thinking is range in action
In Lateral Thinking: Creativity Step by Step, Edward de Bono described a manner of solving problems using an indirect and creative approach via reasoning that is not immediately obvious. It involves ideas that may not be obtainable using only traditional step-by-step logic.[1]
Epstein notes in Range that lateral thinking is a term that describes “the reimagining of information in new contexts, including the drawing together of seemingly disparate concepts or domains that can give old ideas new uses.“”
As Guillén observes:
Breakthroughs occur not when someone works within the established paradigm but when assumptions are abandoned, rules are ignored, and creativity runs amok.[2]
See also:
- Lateral thinking with withered technology
- Specialization tends to reduce range
- Superforecasting is the intersection of range and mindset
2030 – Guillén (2020), § “Introduction” ↩︎