MESSAGE FOR WEEK BEGINNING 8th October 2001

The need for 'New Thinking'

The tragic and shocking events in New York show that no place is invulnerable to terrorist attack. There is a need for a great deal of new thinking. There is also a need for new thinking to seek to reduce the motivation for terrorism. The Israel / Palestine problem is a prime example of why intelligence is not enough. Two of the most intelligent peoples in the world know that in the future they have to work out how to live together. Any 'victory' could only be temporary. There is a need for better thinking that is more constructive. Before any negotiating conference there is a need for a 'design conference' to generate new options and new possibilities. Our argument habits are so unproductive. Judgmental thinking refers to different groups, different principles and different concepts of justice and only puts a label on things rather than generating new values. How long will it take civilisation to realise that there is a serious need for better thinking?

Edward de Bono nmt
7th October 2001
Australia