In a mine in South Africa there used to be 210 fights a month between the seven different tribes working there. After Susan Mackie and her colleagues taught thinking to the illiterate miners, the number of fights dropped to just four a month. Human nature had not changed. Historic enmity had not changed. But behaviour had changed dramatically.
Governements, the U.N., the World Bank etc. are remarkably slow in realising the very powerful effect of teaching thinking. This is more likely to change human behaviour than anything else that can be done. A few countries have been smart enough to put this 'thinking' on their curriculum in all schools. Why are the others so slow?
Edward de Bono nmt
19th May 2002
Venice
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