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Topic X Critical and

Creative
Thinking

LEARNING OUTCOMES
By the end of this topic, you should be able to:
1."

Define critical thinking, creative thinking and lateral thinking;

2."

Explain the characteristics of critical and creative thinking;

3."

Give examples of critical and creative thinking respectively;

4."

Describe the barriers of critical thinking;

5."

Identify the application of creative thinking in problem solving;

6."

Describe the six techniques of lateral thinking; and

7."

Describe right and left brain crossover.

X" INTRODUCTION
There are two basic thinking skills (Figure 6.1).

Figure 6.1: Two basic thinking skills

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The first skill emphasises on analytical ability: how to logically follow an
argument, how to compare, classify and sequence, and how to use deductive and
inductive reasoning to arrive at a conclusion. This thinking skill is called critical
thinking.
The second skill focuses on exploring ideas, generating new possibilities, looking
for flexibility in answers and developing leads worthy of elaboration. This
thinking skill is called creative thinking.
Both critical and creative thinking skills are essential for solving problems and
acquiring knowledge.
In this topic, we will explore both thinking skills, examine their characteristics
and see how they are applied in solving problems in the real world.

ACTIVITY 6.1
In Topic 5, we learned about the functions of the right and left
hemispheres of the human brain. Given the brief descriptions of
critical and creative thinking in the Introduction above, how do you
think these two thinking skills fit in the model of the right-brain, leftbrain functionalities?

6.1

CRITICAL THINKING

Whenever the word critical is used, it often has a negative connotation.

Critical is often taken to mean the tendency to find and call attention to errors
and flaws, such as when a person is critical of what we do or say.
However, critical also means involving or exercising skilled judgement or
observation. It is in this sense that the word critical in critical thinking is
used. Thus, when we say critical thinking, we mean thinking clearly and
intellectually. Critical thinking encompasses a wide range of cognitive skills and
intellectual characteristics needed to effectively identify, analyse and assess
arguments or truth of claims. To think critically means to discover and overcome
personal prejudices and biases, to prepare and come up with convincing reasons
in support of conclusions and to make rational, smart decisions about what to
believe and what to do.
In other words, critical thinking can be defined as, disciplined thinking
regulated by clear intellectual standards. The most important intellectual

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standards identified are clarity, accuracy, relevance, consistency, logical

correctness and fairness (Bassham, 2000, p.7).
We will briefly look at each of these important intellectual standards in order to
understand them better.

6.1.1

Eight Characteristics of Critical Thinking

Now, let us look into eight characteristics of critical thinking.

(a)

Clarity
The first step involved before assessing an argument or claim of a person is
to understand clearly what he or she is saying. However, many a time this
can be rather challenging because people often fail to express themselves
clearly and articulately. This may be due to several reasons which can
include laziness, carelessness or lack of assertive skill. There are also
instances where this may be due to a misguided effort to appear smart,
intelligent or profound. Thus, by paying close attention to language, we can
save
ourselves
from
unnecessary
miscommunications
and
disappointments. Wittgenstein (2001) once remarked, Everything that can
be said can be said clearly.
Besides searching for clarity of language, critical thinkers also look for
maximum clearness of thought. As motivational writers constantly remind
us to accomplish our personal goals in life, we require a clear conception of
our goals and priorities, a realistic grip of our abilities and a clear
understanding of the problems and opportunities we encounter. However,
such self-understanding can only be accomplished if we value and practise
clarity of thought. Charles Larmore (The National Post, July 29, 2000) once
expressed that clarity is not mere embellishment of the intellect; it is the
very heart of intellectual virtue.

(b)

Precision
Some of the best examples of critical thinking are seen in detective stories
such as those of Sherlock Holmes, the immortal creation of British writer Sir
Arthur Conan Doyle. An important element of these stories is precision:
through careful observation, Holmes is able to find clues that are
overlooked by others. A process of logical inference follows, by which he is
able to use the available clues to solve the mystery.
Precision is required in various specialised fields such as medicine,
mathematics, architecture and engineering. Critical thinkers are aware of
the importance of precise thinking in everyday life where in order to dissect
the confusions and uncertainties that surround many everyday problems

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and issues. It is a must to obtain precise answers to precise questions.
According to Peirce (as cited in Bassham et al., 2011), Really valuable ideas
can only be had at the price of close attention.
(c)

Accuracy
A well-known tagline on input-output systems states, Garbage in, garbage
out. The human mind works on the same concept. A person can be
considered very intelligent but if he or she makes a decision based on false
information, it is very likely that the decision would be a bad one. Critical
thinkers not only value truth but also have an obsession for accurate and
timely information. They try hard to make decisions that are as informed as
possible.
To quote Socrates (as cited in Bassham et al., 2011): An unexamined life is
not worth living if an individual stops learning, growing and inquiring.

SELF-CHECK 6.1
In scientific measurements, the difference between precision and
accuracy is well articulated. How would you differentiate between
these two terms in regard of critical thinking?
(d)

Relevance
The moment we find ourselves in a situation where the environment and
people are boring, we begin to appreciate the importance of staying
focused on relevant ideas and information. Many a debater has successfully
used the technique of raising irrelevant issues to distract the attention of his
or her audience and opponents. The famous Abraham Lincoln, when he
was a lawyer, used jokes and stories to gain the favour of the jury and his
opposing counsel often complained to the judge that Lincoln's stories were
irrelevant and distracting to the jury.
As Plato (as cited in Bassham et al., 2011) once said, No tedious and
irrelevant discussion can be allowed; what is said should be pertinent.
This clearly indicates that relevance is indeed an important factor in critical
thinking.

(e)

Consistency
Logic tells us that if a person holds inconsistent beliefs, then at least one of
those beliefs must be untrue. Critical thinkers value truth, thus, they are
always on the lookout for inconsistencies, both in their own thoughts and in
the arguments and assertions of others.

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Logical inconsistency, which involves saying or believing inconsistent

things, is the first type of inconsistency that we should avoid. The second
type is practical inconsistency, which involves mentioning one thing but
doing another.
Many a time people realise that when their words conflict with their
actions, they are labelled as hypocrites. However, such examples are not
especially interesting from the critical thinking point of view. More
interesting are situations in which people do not realise that their words
conflict with their deeds. What is important in such situations is that
human beings often exhibit a remarkable capacity for self-deception. As the
saying of Morpheus goes, There is a difference between knowing the path
and walking the path (as cited in Bassham et al., 2011)."
Critical thinking helps us from being caught in the trap of logical and
practical inconsistencies. Practical inconsistency may be unconscious but it
is borne out through our actions and critical thinking helps us realise that.
As for logical inconsistency, Socrates had already recognised that
unconscious logical inconsistency is far more frequent than most
individuals suspect. With critical thinking, this can be identified and
avoided altogether.
(f)

Logical Correctness
To think logically is to reason correctly; in other words, it means to draw
well-founded conclusions from the beliefs we hold. In order to think
critically, we not only require accurate and well-supported beliefs but we
also need to be able to use them to come up with logical conclusions. The
Talmud says, Intelligence means a person who can see implications and
arrive at conclusions (as cited in Bassham et al., 2011).

(g)

Completeness
Most of the time, we opt for shallow and superficial thinking rather than
deep and complete thinking. We are often embroiled in superficial
discussions: condemning slipshod criminal investigations, hasty jury
deliberations, superficial news stories, unclear driving directions and
incorrect medical diagnoses. Thinking is better when it is in depth rather
than shallow, and thorough rather than superficial. Hsun Tzu (as cited in
Bassham et al., 2011) once stated, It is only when there is completeness and
exhaustiveness that there is scholarship.

(h)

Fairness
The final characteristic of critical thinking is fairness which includes being
open-minded, impartial and free of bias and preconceptions. However, this
is rather difficult to accomplish. According to H.G. Wells, It is not much

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good thinking of a thing unless you think it out (as cited in Bassham et al.,
2011).
Study these two examples of situations where critical thinking is used.
(a)

Critical Thinking in the Classroom

When students enrol in a college, they are taken aback to find out that their
professors are less interested in how they got their beliefs than they are in
whether those beliefs can survive critical inspection. In general, the focus is
on higher-order thinking, the active, intelligent evaluation of ideas and
information. Thus, critical thinking plays an important role in the college
curriculum.
In a critical thinking course, among the skills learned by students that can
greatly increase their classroom abilities are:
x" Understanding the arguments and beliefs of others;
x" Assessing those arguments and beliefs critically; and
x" Developing and defending their own well-supported arguments and
beliefs.
John J. Mearsheimer once said, We don't want you to just accept the
conventional wisdom on a particular subject. Indeed, your first instinct
should be to question it (as cited in Bassham et al., 2011).

(b)

Critical Thinking in the Workplace

Nowadays, employers are not only looking for skilful employees with high
academic qualifications but also individuals with an excellent ability to
think and communicate effectively in the workplace. They seek fast learners
who can solve problems, think creatively, gather and analyse information,
come up with appropriate conclusions from data and communicate their
ideas clearly and effectively. As stated by the Foundation for Critical
Thinking, There is nothing more practical than sound thinking.

6.1.2

Classification Games in Teaching Critical Thinking

It is believed that classification plays a vital role in the growth of logical thinking
and abstract concepts right from early childhood to adulthood. Gerhard (1975)
stated that the classification skill is vital to vocabulary-concept development and
thus, to reading and preservation of information. According to Furth and Wachs
(1974), all classification tasks require the identification of features and separation
into categories according to some rules.

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There are a number of commercial materials with verbal analogies, figural and
symbolic problem solving, logic puzzles and feature games. Nevertheless,
application of a wide variety of environmental objects must follow. Incorporation
of classification activities into content areas is also important to determine their
usefulness. Currently, its applications to mathematics and science, in particular
the investigating approach to science, are indeed obvious.
According to the theory of Schema, information that needs to be stored must be
grouped with something already present in memory (Tonjes & Zintz, 1987).
Techniques involving brainstorming that help in the understanding process are
proposed to help students retrieve their past knowledge on a particular topic to
be read, and then categorise and save the new information in their memory.
Devine (1986) stated that it might be necessary to reorganise students' schemata
when past experience that was limited to a different perspective intervened with
the understanding of a new concept. He used the example of students who faced
problems understanding relationships between the concepts of social class and
caste system. In a word-related exercise, the students were required to list
everything they knew about each term individually. Then, they were asked to
find resemblance, for example, while categorising facts and events, identifying
the common traits among them and labelling them, hence developing new
concepts or schemata.

6.1.3

Barriers to Critical Thinking

Although critical thinking is important, many highly educated and intelligent

people find it rather a challenge to practise. Below are some common barriers to
critical thinking:
x" Lack of relevant background
information

x" Relativistic thinking

x" Poor reading skills

x" Unwarranted assumptions

x" Bias
x" Prejudice
x" Superstition
x" Self-centred thinking
x" Group-centred thinking
x" Peer pressure
x" Conformism
x" Provincialism

x" Stereotyping
x" Scapegoating
x" Rationalisation
x" Denial
x" Wishful thinking
x" Short-term thinking
x" Selective perception
x" Selective memory
x" Overpowering emotions

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x" Narrow-mindedness

x" Self-deception

x" Close-mindedness

x" Face-saving

x" Distrust in reason

x" Fear of change

SELF-CHECK 6.2
Elaborate on any five of the barriers stated above.

6.1.4

Importance of Critical Thinking

Firstly, critical thinking prevents us from making foolish personal decisions by

teaching us to think about important life decisions more carefully, clearly and
logically. Secondly, it plays a crucial role in promoting democratic processes.
Albert Einstein (www.leadershipnow.com/probsolvingquotes.html) once stated
that the significant problems we face cannot be solved at the level of thinking
we were when we created them. Thirdly, critical thinking is believed to bring
personal enrichment to our lives.
Critical thinking can free mankind from the unexamined postulations and biases
of our upbringing and society.
Howard Kahane (as cited in Bassham et al., 2011) once remarked that citizens
who think for themselves, rather than uncritically ingesting what their leaders
tell them, are the absolutely necessary ingredient of a society that is to remain
truly free.

ACTIVITY 6.2
In groups of three or four, define the following critical thinking traits:
intellectual honesty, open-mindedness, fair-mindedness, intellectual
courage and intellectual perseverance.

6.2

CREATIVE THINKING

It was found that before the mid-1950s, not much attention was given to
creativity. A researcher who examined more than 121,000 listings of articles in
Psychological Abstracts in the past 23 years found that only 186 articles, which
translated to less than two-tenths of 1% of the total, had any essence of creativity.

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From that point onwards, attention towards creativity increased tremendously

and many books were written on the subject. Researchers have thoroughly
investigated the lives of creative achievers, explored the creative process and
tested creative performance in every conceivable situation and at every age level.
Their efforts helped to improve our understanding of creativity and solved the
many misconceptions that for so long went unchallenged. Replacing those false
impressions with facts is a vital step in developing one's creative potential. The
facts that follow are among the most important ones:
x" Doing your own thing is not necessarily a mark of creativity
x" Creativity does not require special intellectual talent or high IQ
x" The use of drugs hinders creativity
x" Creativity is an expression of mental health
Creative thinking can be defined as being in an optimal state of mind where
new ideas can be generated (www.brainstorming.co.uk). In other words,
creative thinking is a purposeful thinking that improves the chances of new
thoughts transpiring. Some authors believe that creative thinking is thinking out
of the box where one comes about with original, diverse and elaborate ideas
(Figure 6.2).

"
Figure 6.2: Creative thinking involves thinking outside of the box which can be difficult
at times

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6.2.1

Five Characteristics of Creative Thinking

Now, let us read further about the five characteristics of creative thinking.
(a)"

Dynamism
In its simplest sense, dynamism implies the notion of change change in
response to, and possibly ahead of, circumstances or information. It implies
an active interaction, as opposed to passive acquiescence.
The mind of a critical thinker is never allowed to be passive, unquestioning
and accepting. On the other hand, a creative thinker always manages to
keep his or her curiosity burning, or at least rekindles it from time to time.
Playfulness is said to be an important element of this dynamism. Creative
people can be regarded as little children who love to rearrange their
building blocks in various combinations, viewing them from different
perspectives.
Isaac Newton (as cited in Ruggiero, 2009 p.6) once wrote, I do not know
what I may appear to the world; but to myself, I seem to have been only
like a boy playing on the seashore, and diverting myself in now and then
finding  a smoother pebble or a prettier shell than ordinary whilst the
great ocean of truth lay all undiscovered before me.
Einstein (as cited in Ruggiero, 2009 p. 6) speculated one step further: he saw
such playfulness as the essential feature in productive thought. One of
the most important contributions of playfulness among creative people is
that it provides these individuals with a richer and more varied collection
of ideas than an average person enjoys.

(b)" Daringness
Thinking is an adventure for creative people. This is because they are free
from preconceived ideas and prejudiced views. Furthermore, creative
individuals are less prone to accepting existing views, wider in their
perspectives and less likely to agree with those around them. Creative
people can come up with bold ideas. They are willing to try out ideas that
are not accepted by others and also experiment with possibilities that are
disliked by others. This trait was shared by Galileo, Columbus, Edison and
the Wright brothers. These individuals were more willing to embrace new
creative ideas than their contemporaries.
Daringness is a virtue because it makes individuals who possess this trait
less susceptible to face-saving than others. Daring individuals accept bad
experiences, apply their curiosity and learn from those experiences. Thus,
they are less likely than others to repeat the same failures.

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TOPIC 6 CRITICAL AND CREATIVE THINKING

Resourcefulness
Resourcefulness can be defined as the ability to act effectively and
conceptualise the approach that solves the problem. In addition, being
resourceful also means being able to solve a problem that perplexes others
when the resources at hand are insufficient.
Although this ability is not measured by IQ tests, it is one of the most
important aspects of practical intelligence. The best example that explains
this trait is one that was published in Scientific American more than 50
years ago. In this article, a prisoner in a western state prison escaped but
was recaptured after a few weeks. The prison officers grilled him for days
and repeatedly questioned him on where he obtained the saw to cut
through the bars. Finally, he answered that he had gathered bits of twine in
the machine shops, dipped them in glue and then in emery, and smuggled
them back to his cell. Every night for three months, he had sawed the one
inch-thick steel bars. The officers were satisfied with his explanation, locked
him up and ensured that he never visited the machine shop again.
However, after three and a half years, the prisoner escaped again during
the night. The prison officers found the bars cut in exactly the same manner
as in the previous escape. However, he was never recaptured, and the way
he escaped remained an unsolved puzzle.
In fact, he had lied about using material from the machine shop the first
time. He had been much more resourceful than that. He had used woollen
strings from his socks, moistened them with spit, and rubbed them in dirt
on his cell floor.

(d)" Diligence
William Gordon (as cited in Ruggiero, 2009 p. 7) once said, All problems
present themselves to the mind as threats of failure. Only individuals who
are not frightened by the prospects of failure and have an unwavering
desire to succeed no matter what the effort required, have the opportunity
to succeed.
Creative individuals are ready to make the required commitment. Thomas
Edison (as cited in Ruggiero, 2009 p. 7) had commitment in mind when he
said, Genius is 99 percent perspiration and 1 percent inspiration. Another
great personality, George Bernard Shaw (as cited in Ruggiero, 2009 p. 7),
once stated: When I was a young man, I observed that nine out of ten
things I did were failures. I did not want to be a failure, so I did ten times
more work.

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One important trait present in creative people is their ability to be
thoroughly engrossed in a problem and give it their full attention. In
addition, creative people, due to their competitiveness, pay more attention
to their ideas rather than to other people. One good example is Lester
Pfister, who conceived the idea of inbreeding stalks and worked by hand,
season after season. After five years, he had only four stalks left and he was
poor. Less determined souls would probably have given up in frustration
and disappointment under such circumstances but Pfister was unwilling to
accept defeat. He persevered and was finally rewarded with an improved
strain.
(e)"

Independence
Every time we think of a new idea, we separate ourselves from other
people. The mere expression of the idea increases this separation ten-fold.
For most people, especially those who obtain their power from
communicating with others and those who depend on others for their
identity, such separation is frightening. Sad to say, such people do not feel
comfortable entertaining and expressing new ideas. This is due to their fear
of rejection.
Creative individuals are different. Although they accept friendship and
support from others, they are not entirely dependent on them. They look
within themselves for strength and are thus more self-confident, more
independent in the way they speak and act and less afraid of appearing
strange or out of place (Figure 6.3).

Figure 6.3: Creative individuals are said to be more independent comparatively

Source: http://www.h2euro.org/latest-news/eu-policy-news/fch-ju-independentas-of-november-15th-2010

Understanding and knowing these five characteristics can help you build
up your creative abilities if you are willing to make the effort to develop
them. However, if you already have them, it will help you to improve and

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strengthen them. This is a difficult but possible task as the saying goes,
Old habits die hard. Nevertheless, even modest progress will bring a
change in the quality of your thinking.

SELF-CHECK 6.3
List five important traits of creative individuals and explain each one
of them in your own words.

6.2.2

Applying Creativity to Problems and Issues

Two extensive applications of creativity that are of special interest to most

individuals are solving problems and resolving controversial issues. Both refer to
unpleasant situations that challenge our intelligence, or situations that have no
available or suitable solutions. Such situations tend to divide people into
opposing groups, each with the notion that they are right and the other party is
wrong.
The most important methods to apply creativity to problems and issues include:
x" Taking an innovative and new approach;
x" Devising or changing a process or system;
x" Coming up with a new product or service;
x" Searching for new uses for existing things;
x" Improvising on existing things; and
x" Discovering or redefining a concept.
Now, let us read about each of the methods together with their example to fully
understand them.
(a)

Taking an Innovative and New Approach

Humane Society inspectors who came across two dogs in a closed car in
brutal 92C heat used a new approach to punish the dogs owners. They
offered the owners an alternative to being charged with cruelty to animals:
spend an hour inside the closed car themselves at the same temperature
that the dogs were exposed to while the dogs spend the hour in the airconditioned Humane Society building [Couple Learns Golden Rule..,
Oneonta Star, 29 August 1981].

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Another good example of taking an innovative approach is the story of D.B.
Kaplan, who was given the task of coming up with new ways of writing
menus for restaurants. He took up the challenge with a tongue-in-cheek
approach. Items that he came up with included Tongue Fu, the Italian
Scallion, Chive Turkey, Ike and Tina Tuna, Dr. Pepperoni, the Breadless
Horseman, Annette Spinachello, and Quiche and Tell. The ingredients were
as creative as the names.
(b)

Devising or Changing a Process or System

The Dewey decimal system and the Library of Congress system are two
techniques that were created for classifying books.
Other brilliant examples are the procedures devised in the past one or two
decades to investigate the health of a foetus. Procedures such as
amniocentesis and chorionic villus sampling involve the extraction of
amniotic fluid, while ultrasound imaging involves the bouncing of sound
waves off the foetus to form an image.
DNA fingerprinting is another example of creativity. This technique is
based on the fact that every individual who ever lived has his own unique
genetic makeup. A strand of hair or a spot of urine, saliva or semen found
at a crime scene can be compared with a DNA sample of a suspect and be a
significant factor in finding out the identity of the guilty individual or
criminal.

(c)

Coming Up With a New Product or Service

In 1845, a man needed money to pay a debt. He was thinking of what he
could invent in order to pay off his debt. Three hours later, he came up with
the safety pin, an idea which he sold for $400.
Other surprising examples are Graffiti Gobbler, a chemical compound that
can remove ink or paint from wood, brick or steel, and the Moto-Stand, a
three-wheeled, upholstered, motorised truck invented by a man paralysed
from chest down. This vehicle allowed him to manoeuvre around the house
in standing position [Crippled Inventor is Standing Proud, Oneonta Star, 30
November 1981].

(d)

Searching for New Uses for Existing Things

Agricultural crops have long been used for unusual purposes. For example,
cotton lint is used to manufacture explosives while ground-up tobacco is
used to make insecticide.
Scientists found new ways to use the largest surplus crop in the United
States, which was corn. For example, corn was used in making de-icing

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materials, adhesives, disposable bottles and biodegradable garbage bags.

[New inventions from the Cornfield, New York Times, 10 January 1988].
(e)

Improvising on Existing Things

Some good examples of existing things that have been improvised are the
recent developments in the telephone, such as call block, call trace, priority
call, return call, repeat call and caller ID. Each of these features was devised
in response to a particular need that was not fulfilled by the existing device
or equipment.

(f)

Discovering or Redefining a Concept

Most of us have this notion that the many concepts that help us think and
deal with reality are permanent and last forever. However, this may not be
true. Just as products and services are invented, so are concepts. The
concepts of taxation and punishing criminals, for example, may be very old,
but they were once upon a time new.

ACTIVITY 6.3
1."

The more formal education a person has, the more he is able to

analyse, but the less he is able to improvise.
Discuss this statement in the context of critical and creative thinking.

2."

6.3

Being creative does not only mean possessing certain

characteristics but also behaving creatively; approaching the
challenges we face with imagination and originality. In short, it
means exhibiting skill in applying the creative process. Do an
Internet search to determine the stages involved in the creative
process. Elaborate on each stage.

LATERAL THINKING

Edward
de
Bono
(www.generations.gs/TQ11/Creativity/sites/vs.html)
(a leading authority in the field of creative thinking) defined lateral thinking as
exploring multiple possibilities and approaches instead of pursuing a single
approach. Besides teaching you to think in a creative manner, lateral thinking
has the ability of transforming problems into opportunity, search for alternative
solutions and significantly increase your number of original and practical ideas
employing unusual thinking techniques that are normally not within the ability
of our normal methods of thinking.

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Lateral thinking is usually employed by individuals who are given the
responsibility of coming up with new strategies in the R & D sector.
Nevertheless, any individual who is in a lookout for innovativeness, idea
generation, concept development, creative problem solving or a strategy to
challenge the present situation can gain from lateral thinking. Generally, in the
modern world, individuals who are facing fast-changing trends, intense
competition and who are required to come up with extraordinary results could
benefit from lateral thinking.
Table 6.1 summarises the six different lateral thinking techniques.
Table 6.1: Six Techniques in Lateral Thinking
Technique

Description

1." Alternatives/Concept
Extraction

Employing concepts to come up with new ideas.

2." Focus

Changing or sharpening on your focus to improve your

creative effort.

3." Challenge

Thinking beyond the accepted ways of operating.

4." Random entry

Employing unrelated input to widen the horizon of

thinking.

5." Harvesting

Choosing of the most suitable early ideas and moulding

them into usable approaches.

6." Treatment of ideas

Expanding ideas in order to incorporate them into any

particular situations or organisations.

Lateral thinking may be useful when applied in the following:

(a)"

Challenging of a present situation in a positive manner to allow room for

new ideas.

(b)" Search and build on the concept behind an idea in order to generate more
ideas.
(c)"

Resolve problems in methods that were not thought of initially.

(d)" Utilise alternatives to produce and harness the creative energy of an

organisation.
(e)"

Transform problems into opportunities.

(f)"

Choose the optimum alternate ideas and put them into operation.

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SELF-CHECK 6.4
1.

The following questions are designed to test your ability to

practise lateral thinking.
(a)

What can you hold in your right hand, but not in your left?

(b)

A man and his son were in a car crash. The father was killed
and the son was taken to hospital with serious injuries. The
examining doctor exclaims: But, this is my son!.
How can this be?

(c)
2.

6.4

Name three consecutive days in English without using the

words Tuesday, Thursday, or Saturday.

Describe the six lateral thinking techniques.

RIGHT AND LEFT BRAIN CROSSOVER

In general, an individual uses both sides of the brain when making a decision.
This is due to the fact that when you use only one side of your brain, you are
basically denying yourself the opportunity to use your full power in the decision
making process.
The crossover of right and left brain crossover produces a sound, rational and
logical decision that gives you satisfaction. The right hemisphere of the brain is
responsible for intuitive, subjective and holistic thinking. Thus an individual who
uses only the right brain may end up making a decision that lacks the logical and
objective reasoning. On the other hand, the left brain is in charge of logical,
analytical, rational and objective reasoning. Hence, a left brain user who works
with facts, data and logic without the feeling component in making decisions
usually fail to notice the importance of using their emotions. These individuals
believe that facts, data and logic are not only superior than emotions when
making a particular decision but also always produce better decisions. Feelings
are an important component of the human existence. It is essential that you
embrace and accept feelings during a decision making process in order to ensure
that you will feel satisfied with the final decision that you have made.
Alan Bean [Figure 6.4(a)] and Florence Nightingale [Figure 6.4(b)] are among the
individuals who have achieved a lot in their lives with a strong right and left
brain crossover. Alan Bean was a Navy test pilot, and the fourth man to set his
foot on the moon. His job required strong left brain to utilise logical, analytical,
rational and objective reasoning. Upon his resignation from NASA, Alan Bean

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131

"
became a full time artist who painted Apollos human adventure that is both
visionary and historic; a task that requires a strong right brain to employ
intuitive, subjective and holistic thinking. Florence Nightingale, a nurse by
profession, exhibited the use of both her right and left brain. She proved the
importance of sanitary conditions in healing the sick and wounded patients. She
employed her left brain for this while her nurturing qualities demonstrated the
powers of her right brain.

"
(a)

(b)

Figure 6.4: Alan Bean (a) and Florence Nightingale (b) both demonstrated strong right
and left brain crossover attributes.
Sources: http://www.talentbookingusa.com/speakers/alan-bean.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florence_Nightingale

SELF-CHECK 6.5
1."

The choices of which brain is in control of which situations

iswhat forges our personalities and determines our character.
Discuss the above statement.

2."

In your opinion, does our current education system place higher

importance on the right or left brain? Suggest ways and steps that
can be taken to improve this situation.

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"

TOPIC 6 CRITICAL AND CREATIVE THINKING

x" Critical thinking is a general term given to a wide range of cognitive skills and
intellectual characters required to effectively identify, analyse and evaluate
arguments and truth claims; to uncover and overcome personal prejudices and
biases; to devise and present convincing reasons in support of conclusions; and
to come up with reasonable, intelligent decisions about what to believe and what
to do. It is disciplined thinking controlled by clear intellectual benchmarks that
have proven their values over the course of human history.
x" The important characteristics of critical thinking are: clarity; precision;
accuracy; relevance; consistency; logical; correctness; completeness; and
fairness.
x" Creative thinking is important in today's competitive world. Creative people
share a number of important characteristics, among which are: dynamism;
daringness; resourcefulness; diligence; and independence.
x" The most important ways to apply creativity to problems and issues are:
taking an innovative approach; formulating a process or system; devising a
new product or service; finding new uses for existing things; improvising on
existing things; and inventing or redefining a concept.
x" Lateral thinking employs the utilisation of inspiration and imagination to
solve problems by looking at them from unexpected perspectives; it also
involves discarding the obvious, leaving behind traditional modes of
thought, and throwing away preconceptions.
x" The crossover of right and left brain produces a sound, rational and logical
decision as both hemispheres of the brain are responsible for different
functions and approaches in a decision making process.

Acquilescence

Diligence

Brain Crossover

Dynamism

Completeness

Fairness

Creative Thinking

Lateral Thinking

Critical Thinking

Logical Correctness

Daringness

Resourcefulness

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133

"

1."

How many uses can you think of for an old pair of socks, stockings or
panty hose? Be sure to guard against setting unconscious restrictions on
your thinking and to resist the temptation to settle for too few ideas.

2."

To what extent has your education prepared you to think clearly, precisely,
accurately, logically and so forth? Have you known a person who strongly
modelled the critical thinking standards discussed in this topic? If so, how
did he or she do that?

3."

Think of the most unpleasant task you ever had to do. Use your creativity
to make it more pleasant. Use the knowledge that you have gained from
this topic to answer this question.

4."

A woman lives on the tenth floor of a block of flats. Every morning she
takes the lift down to the ground floor and goes to work. In the evening,
she gets into the lift, and, if there is someone else in the lift she goes back to
her floor directly. Otherwise, she goes to the eighth floor and walks up two
flights of stairs to her flat. How do you explain this using the concept of
lateral thinking?

5."

Categorise the characteristics listed according to the right and left side of
the brain.

"

Uses feeling

Philosophy &
religion

Acknowledges

Appreciates

Believes

Big picture

Oriented

Words and
language

Symbols and
images

Knowing

Risk taking

Safe

Uses logic

Facts rule

Fantasy
based

Imagination
rules

Reality based

Detail oriented

Practical

Can
comprehend

134 X
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TOPIC 6 CRITICAL AND CREATIVE THINKING

"
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from

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from

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from