Lateral Thinking
Lateral Thinking: Move sideways, not deeper. When stuck on a problem, instead of thinking harder in the same direction, deliberately jump to a different starting point, random stimulus, or provocative assumption. De Bono's insight: the best solution to a problem is often outside the frame the problem came in. Lateral thinking provides tools to escape the frame.
What Is Lateral Thinking?β
Edward de Bono coined the term "lateral thinking" in his 1967 book The Use of Lateral Thinking, distinguishing it from "vertical thinking" β the conventional deepening of an established approach. Vertical thinking is excellent for problems where the direction is right; lateral thinking is necessary when the direction itself is the problem.
De Bono's central observation: the human mind creates and follows patterns extremely efficiently. This is what allows us to function β most problems we encounter are recognisably similar to problems we've solved before, and pattern-following gets us to adequate solutions quickly. But for genuinely novel problems, pattern-following is the enemy. The solution that pattern-thinking reaches is the obvious one β which has usually already been tried.
Lateral thinking provides deliberate techniques to escape established patterns:
- Random stimulation: Introduce a random word or object and force connections to the problem
- Provocation (PO): State a deliberately absurd reversal or exaggeration and use it as a stepping stone
- Alternatives: Generate multiple alternative starting points rather than committing to the obvious one
- Challenging assumptions: Ask "why does this have to be true?" about the constraints of the problem
- Concept extraction: Abstract the underlying concept from an existing solution and find new ways to realise it
The key is that these are not vague encouragements to "think differently" but specific, mechanical techniques that can be applied systematically. They work by bypassing the brain's pattern-completion tendency and forcing novel associations.
How It Worksβ
Technique 1: RANDOM STIMULATION
β Open a dictionary/book to a random word
β Force connections between the word and the problem
β "The word is 'anchor'. How might an anchor relate to improving user retention?"
Technique 2: PROVOCATION (PO)
β State an absurd position: "PO: cars should have square wheels"
β Use it as a stepping stone, not a literal idea
β "Square wheels provide consistent friction" β "variable friction on demand" β tyre traction control
Technique 3: CHALLENGE
β "Why does this have to be done this way?"
β "What assumption are we accepting as fixed that might not be?"
β "What if the opposite were true?"
Technique 4: ALTERNATIVES
β Before committing to the obvious approach, generate 5+ alternative framings
β "The obvious framing is X. What other framings are possible?"
Technique 5: CONCEPT EXTRACTION
β Extract the underlying concept from an existing solution
β Find other ways to realise the same concept
β "Uber's concept: use idle assets. Where else are there idle assets?"
Three Real-World Examplesβ
The Car Park Problemβ
A hotel had insufficient parking and couldn't afford to build more. Vertical thinking: acquire adjacent land; build a multi-storey; implement valet parking. All expensive.
Lateral thinking (challenge): "Why does parking have to happen near the hotel?" Alternative frame: "We don't need more parking; we need guests to not need parking." Solutions: partnered with nearby office blocks for weekend parking use; launched a shuttle service from remote lots; began offering superior public transport guidance to guests. Cost was a fraction of construction; guest satisfaction with parking improved because they no longer had to hunt for spaces.
Post-it Note (3M Provocation)β
Spencer Silver at 3M developed an adhesive in 1968 that was "too weak" β it didn't permanently bond. Vertical thinking said this was a failed adhesive and moved on. Lateral thinking (concept extraction): "What is the concept of a 'weak adhesive'? Something that bonds temporarily and can be removed cleanly." Art Fry, irritated that his choir bookmark kept falling out of his hymnal, connected Silver's adhesive to his problem six years later. Post-it Notes are now a $1B+ product line. The "failure" was a solution looking for the right problem frame.
Advertising Budget Constraintβ
An agency had a client with a tiny advertising budget for a local campaign. Vertical thinking: reduce scope; target fewer placements. Lateral thinking (random stimulation): random word was "water." "Water gets everywhere, even through tiny cracks." "What if the strategy wasn't broadcast but infiltration?" Solution: a series of hyper-local guerrilla activations β stickers, graffiti, local influencer seeding β that created the appearance of ubiquity for minimal cost. The constraint was reframed as a mandate for creativity rather than a limitation on reach.
When to Use Itβ
β Lateral thinking is valuable when:
- Repeated applications of the obvious approach have failed
- The problem is genuinely novel β no established pattern applies
- You need to escape an entrenched way of seeing a problem
- Creative breakthrough is specifically required (not incremental improvement)
β Vertical thinking is better when:
- The direction is clearly right and needs deepening
- A known, proven approach exists and the problem is execution
- Time pressure makes lateral exploration impractical
| Pairs well with | Why |
|---|---|
| Random Stimulation | One of lateral thinking's core techniques as a standalone practice |
| Provocation Technique | The PO provocation technique operationalised |
| Reframing | Lateral thinking's challenge technique is a systematic reframing method |
| First Principles | First Principles shares lateral thinking's goal of escaping inherited assumptions |
Common Misuses and Limitationsβ
Confusing lateral thinking with random thinking. Lateral thinking is deliberate and mechanical. It uses structured techniques to generate novel connections; it is not simply "thinking randomly" or "being creative." The techniques are designed to produce useful novelty, not chaos.
Using it as a replacement for vertical thinking. Lateral thinking generates starting points and directions; vertical thinking then develops them. De Bono was explicit that lateral thinking produces raw material for logical development β it doesn't replace logical development.
Evaluating ideas during lateral generation. Lateral thinking requires a separate generation phase where evaluation is suspended. Prematurely judging ideas as "that won't work" kills the provocation technique before it can serve as a stepping stone.
Waiting for inspiration. Lateral thinking is a set of deliberate, mechanical techniques β not a mystical state. You don't wait for a random idea to occur; you apply the random stimulation technique and force an association.
Related Modelsβ
| Model | Relationship |
|---|---|
| Six Thinking Hats | Green Hat = lateral thinking mode; Blue Hat manages the process |
| Random Stimulation | Core lateral thinking technique as a standalone model |
| Provocation Technique | PO technique from lateral thinking, expanded |
| Constraint Relaxation | Constraint relaxation is lateral thinking's "challenge" technique applied to assumptions |
Frequently Asked Questionsβ
How does lateral thinking differ from brainstorming?
Brainstorming generates ideas within an established frame (what are solutions to this problem?). Lateral thinking questions the frame itself (does this problem need to be solved this way? what are other ways to see it?). Brainstorming is divergent thinking within a given problem space; lateral thinking can change the problem space. Lateral thinking techniques (random stimulation, provocation) can be used within a brainstorming session to overcome stagnation, but the two are not the same methodology.
Can lateral thinking be taught and learned, or is it a personality trait?
De Bono's explicit position: lateral thinking is a learnable skill, not a personality trait. Research on creativity supports this β exposure to diverse domains, deliberate practice with the specific techniques, and cultural permission to propose "absurd" ideas all improve lateral thinking performance. The most important enabler is a context that doesn't punish apparently foolish ideas, because provocation and random stimulation regularly produce apparently foolish ideas that serve as stepping stones to genuinely useful ones.
What is "PO" and how is it used in practice?
PO (Provocative Operation) is de Bono's symbol for a provocation β a statement offered not as a belief or proposal but as a deliberate step sideways from conventional thinking. "PO: restaurants should charge for the right not to eat" is a PO. The statement isn't meant to be literally true; it's meant to stimulate thinking. "What concept underlies charging for not eating? β Guaranteed revenue regardless of consumption β subscription models for restaurants β Open Table reservations with cancellation fees." PO is used explicitly to signal "this is a provocative stepping stone, not a literal proposal" β giving participants permission to engage with an absurd idea without needing to defend it.
Further Readingβ
- de Bono, E. (1970). Lateral Thinking: Creativity Step by Step β the foundational text
- de Bono, E. (1992). Serious Creativity β advanced lateral thinking techniques
- Michalko, M. (1991). Thinkertoys β lateral thinking and related creativity tools applied to business
Apply with AIβ
π Apply lateral thinking to your problem with MindMax β
This page is part of the MindMax Mental Models Knowledge Base.