EDWARD DE BONO'S MESSAGE
2nd February 1998

"Thinking Clubs 3"

I continue with the comments about 'thinking clubs'.

Thinking Clubs (3)

It is no surprise that the most enduring religions are those with the strongest rituals. At one time Buddhism dominated India. Today less than one per cent of Indians are Buddhists. Buddhism is not so much a religion as a way of life. It may be that the Buddhist rejection of meaningless ritual weakened its survival.

Ritual is fundamentally unimportant but it gives identity just as the shape of your nose is fundamentally unimportant but it contributes to your identity.

Ritual and discipline contribute to the survival of any thinking club.

Discipline may mean holding meetings on fixed days at fixed times and expecting people to be punctual. The meetings could be weekly, fortnightly or monthly. Less often than monthly is useless. The chosen day and time will depend on local circumstances. Trying to negotiate a time and place with everyone for each meeting is a hopeless task. So it is necessary to be fixed and rigid - with very occasional flexibility.

The clubs can be called 'Edward de Bono Thinking Clubs'. This is not yet another manifestation of megalomania. There is a need for a style and an identity. There is a need for people to recognise the thinking that is going to be used in these clubs (constructive and creative). You are, of course, free to call your club anything you wish. I shall keep a register on this site of those Edward de Bono Thinking Clubs that wish to register. There is no registration fee or other payment whatsoever.

Time discipline is important. If there is a 'five minute' thinking exercise then it should be extactly five minutes. There is absolutely no intrinsic importance in time discipline but it is the easiest sort of discipline to enforce and monitor. If time discipline is there then it is easier to have 'focus' discipline: thinking about what you are supposed to be thinking about and not drifting all over the place. Then there is tool discipline: using the particular tool or framework that you are supposed to be using. Then there is 'attitude discipline': paying attention to the idiom or attitude of the thinking clubs.

In my next message I shall try to outline the 'idiom' of the proposed thinking clubs.

Edward de Bono
1st February 1998