This is where lateral thinking and the instinct to look for
alternative possibilities lies.
Unfortunately, nowadays, in many fields many are not even willing
to look at alternatives.
Professional expertise often leads some to blinkered horse vision
syndrome.
In his first book 'PO beyond Yes and NO' Edward de Bono explained
clearly why he felt the necessity to highlight and to pursue lateral
thinking and teaching thinking as an exclusive subject for children.
The first occasion which made him to do so was on the way to a seminar /
conference at Moscow ( called Leningrad in those days) where 50 of world's top
psychologists and psychiatrists had assembled in heavy downpour of snow and
none were able to insert the key and open the car.
They all tried all means of melting snow using friction rubbing
hard with the thick gloves, breaking even with axe but still, hard, and heavy
snow fall blocked the whole. Then they tried pouring petrol on door keyhole to
melt even that didn't work. All that they tried were proven correct methods but
did not work. They were 'thinking only about melting ice' . He was sitting and
watching them do these while sipping his whisky sitting in a corner. He went
near his car with his assigned driver, told him to stand ready with the key
just pointed towards the keyhole, poured raw whisky, the ice melted, and the
driver inserted the key, got inside and started the car.
None that of ' defreezing the ice/ snow' .
Then and there, in that conference itself he dwelt on his popular
theory.
