A Seventh hat...

If you were going to design another category to add to the points of view of the Six Hats, what would it be?

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Comment by Audronė Allan on November 29, 2009 at 8:27: Hello, Franis,

It is not difficult to guess Peter’s de Bono reaction to the extension of the framework. It was direct and negative, reinforced by raising eyebrows: “Edward’s de Bono Six Thinking Hat Framework has six hats, there is no brown and purple hat in that framework”

It is fun to play with different bits of wardrobe as substitute of hats. I met colourful spectacles and jackets too. But these do not change the essence of SHT. The change is made by attempts to add colours, especially when new thinking modes introduced by new colours represent anti-deBono thinking. These refinements make damage to the original framework and do not propose constructive alternative.

It would be interesting to see proposal of the alternative framework, challenging Six Thinking Hats framework. That alternative framework should have completeness, thinking philosophy behind and clear function to improve thinking.

I could think about anti-dBT Framework, describing totality of non-thinking. I have two hats to start from. But I will not start thinking about that until I see clear purpose and value of that new framework.

Comment by Franis on November 28, 2009 at 17:32: Audrone', welcome to the fray. ;) It's quite appropriate how you misspelled "brown" as "brawn." The thinking tenants of tradition are so often stubborn and immovable. ...And what was Peter’s de Bono reaction to that extension of the Six Thinking Hat framework during his first visit to Lithuania in 2001??

I really like Kim's idea of masks, goggles and helmets - as an expression of perception. Anyone else have masks, goggles, helmet sort of perceptual expressions to add about that?
Since I wear them, I'm thinking about:
Glasses with colored lenses for expressing a tight, microscopic focus (the advantage of predominantly near-sightedness, which implies self-reference, how the question relates to you personally.) Alternately, glasses that you wear when considering the effects on others, (These glasses would make a person far-sighted, futuristic and focused on the affect of the question on others.) I guess the color for the lens for the one that is far-seeing would be clear... and the color for the near-sighted, personal one would be rose-colored. ;) Then you could wear the glasses and any one of the colored hats at the same time!

Has anyone suggested a jester's hat for interjecting humor? I guess that humor would be included in the green hat, but I think having a special hat for humor deserves extra special mention.

Comment by Audronė Allan on November 28, 2009 at 8:40: Two extra hats – brawn and purple - have been proposed more than 15 years ago by external observer of thinking in Lithuania.
- Brown Hat represents tradition determined thinking: “my father did/thought like that, so I am doing/thinking like that”; it is “flow all long the traditional pattern” type thinking.
- Purple Hat represents ego centred thinking of an ‘expert’: “I am a source of the truth, I know what is what, you should take my thinking as the right one”

That time (just after the Iron Wall have been demolished) it was very exciting to hear how people form other societies (from other side of the wall, that means democratic and free thinking) see and understand our thinking. Later, when I started intensive international collaboration and had a chance to listen for other peoples’ thinking, I have discovered that brown or purple hats are not original Lithuanian way to reject thinking. Have you noticed the attampt to put any "Non Thinking Hat" in your socio-cultural context?

Later I have noticed tendency with beginning users of Six Hats to try put two hats at once: “Can I put a black hat with red spots?”, “Does the yellow hat with red spots fit there?” I take that as difficulties in learning to put one single hat at once, difficulties to put discipline on thinking.

If one would look closer to these two hats one will easy notice two typical situations, where individual rejects to think: “I do not need to think, because my father, tradition of one true party thinks for me” (brown hat) or “I do not need to think, because I know truth” (purple hat).

I remember well Peter’s de Bono reaction to that extension of the Six Thinking Hat framework during his first visit to Lithuania in 2001 :-)

Comment by Franis on November 10, 2009 at 5:50: That would be a funny hat!

I would imagine the style of the hats to be synonymous with their functions...
For instance, the black hat would be like an old-fashioned Victorian stovepipe hat.
The red hat would be made of velvet, sensuous and floppy, like a baroque style. Or perhaps a red french beret or hand-made wool hat. Something very personal.
The white hat would be stream-lined and practical - perhaps the plainest and most functional of hats that would keep someone out of the rain and their head warm, like the felt hats in the picture of this website.
The yellow hat would be jaunty, like a straw hat or a Panama hat.
The blue hat would be kingly - even a crown. Something with authority.
...and the green hat would, of course, be a foolish dunce cap or a jester's with multiple jingles!

Comment by Tony Alexander on November 10, 2009 at 4:45: How about a big hat to put away all the hats when you're done thinking...

Comment by Asa Jomard on November 6, 2009 at 22:38: Perhaps there could be a hat for co-operation. A hat that shows that thinking never takes place in a vacuum.

Comment by Franis on November 3, 2009 at 22:16: Yeah, I know six is the right amount. Just because the book is written is no excuse for us not to think a little further, is it?
It is just that many people feel hesitant to disrupt the "master"author. It is as if it's an insult to someone's authority and respect. In de Bono's case, I figured it would be the best compliment to his work (and to him) to use his concept of Movement: "see where we can go from here..."

This is what reading "Serious Creativity" will do to a person...

Comment by Franis on October 31, 2009 at 4:14: Cool idea. I can imagine a purple hat for what COULD happen. The "sally forth and experiment" hat. The "it needs to cook longer in the oven" hat. The "pattern interrupt" hat. Ahhh... that's such an interesting idea that could be built on, Sinclair!

Comment by Sinclair McLay on October 28, 2009 at 18:00: Purple = Patience
Made a lot of progress - but something is missing. Away back to your lives and if something bubbles up - don thy purple hat and let us know!

Comment by Franis on October 27, 2009 at 16:23: Fun idea to use the hats in sequence! A combination of colors is very cool too... Sort of like a patterned hat!

Someone made an interesting point that you don't want too many hats because it's hard for people to remember... But we're just speculating here, playing around.

What about a hat for environment? It could include Other People's Values...