Edward De Bono is sharp and illuminating in his discussion of what is wrong with our current mode of thinking. I really can't stress enough how important are his insights. And I can't really summarize his more compelling insights, so I highly recommend you read his writing; don't rely on my descriptions. But here are some of his observations on various mundane aspects of current society.
Bureacracy
"The purpose of a bureacracy is to avoid mistakes. The good work of a bureacracy is taken for granted and seldom noticed. Mistakes are points for attack. A mistake hangs around a bureacrat's neck for the rest of his or her career....Bureacracy was never designed as a change mechanism but to implement things as they are. Unfortunately, change often has to go through bureacracies."
Journalism
"The sheer ability of journalists to comprehend different fields is usually limited, so they fall back on three basics: the human angle; some gimmick aspect; attack. The prime purpose is not exposition of the subject but journalistic 'interest.'...Clash and controversy are intrinsically more interesting than agreement, so disagreements have to be played up and emphasized. Scandals are fun, so personalities rate more than substance."
Democracy
is "a system designed to get consensus for action but now much more effective in preventing things from happening."
Language
"is an encyclopaedia of ignorance. Words and concepts became established at a period of relative ignorance -- which each period must be compared to the subsequent period. Once the perceptions and concepts are frozen into the permanence of language, they control and limit our thinking on any subject because we are forced to use those concepts...We need a lot of new words to allow us to say --and to perceive-- things that we cannot perceive at the moment."
Computers as problem solving tools
"If we do develop really intelligent computers we shall be in grave danger unless we develop our perceptual skills to a much greater extent. The computer will give us dangerously logical answers based on our faulty perceptions."
Sadly, we are getting lazy about improving our thinking. Or "arrogant" is perhaps the better word. When we can "think" by reference to established patterns and assumptions things are easy. When we are asked to evaluate the established patterns and assumptions, or to create new ones (or even accept new ones that are proposed to us) we strain to avoid that effort. We are so smart, and computers are making us smarter. Right?
