Edward de Bono: The free thinker
Edward de Bono is best known for his «six thinking hats» and the concept of «lateral thinking.» His biographer, Sarah Tucker, now aims to show that this leads to him being grossly underestimated. We sat down with her for an interview.
m&k: Over the years, hundreds of thousands of people have come into contact with Edward de Bono’s work, read articles about this polymath, or seen reports about him. You, however, knew him personally for more than a decade and are now publishing his biography, *Edward de Bono: Love Laterally*. How did you two meet?
Sarah Tucker: We met by chance on New Year’s Eve 2012 at a party at the Corinthia Palace Hotel in Malta, which used to be his family’s estate. I mentioned that I was a fan of his book *Six Thinking Hats*, and that was the basis for our first conversation. We exchanged phone numbers, but I didn’t think I’d ever hear from him again—until I received a call in January 2013, when a voice on the other end said quite nonchalantly, «Hi, it’s Edward!» If he’d been younger, he probably would have tried to ask me out on a date (laughs). Women were his Achilles« heel, but we clicked intellectually right away, and that was the beginning of our friendship. A »professional« friendship, you might say, since I interviewed him repeatedly for newspapers and television… but we also talked about personal matters and met between 25 and 30 times in the years leading up to his death. He even visited me in France, where my family has a summer house, and I showed him around the region. He was thrilled, even though he always had to emphasize that it was much more beautiful in Australia—his favorite country—and, of course, in »his« Malta. At some point, I had an epiphany: There are all these people out there who work with his methods; there are dozens of books by and about Edward… but no biography that truly captures his warmth, brilliance, and complexity. So… I have to write it (laughs)!
«(…) There are dozens of books by and about Edward … but no biography that truly captures his warmth, brilliance, and complexity.»
… that’s what you did, and now you’ll be presenting the work on September 3 at the British House of Lords in London. I read that de Bono was fascinated by the aristocracy—so that’s a fitting venue, isn’t it?
I'm sure he would have liked it; otherwise, I wouldn't be doing it (laughs)! This won’t be a typical book presentation, though—you’re not allowed to do that sort of thing in the House of Lords—but rather an exchange, a discussion about de Bono, prompted by the publication of *Love Laterally*. Baroness Helena Kennedy wrote the foreword to the book, since she frequently applies Edward’s ideas in her own work, so that makes sense. And… as for de Bono’s fascination with the aristocracy: You’re right about that, but I’d like to offer a more nuanced perspective.
You're welcome.
Edward had some connections to the British aristocracy, including the Mountbatten family, primarily through mutual acquaintances. He also had some interaction with Prince Philip, but I think Edward was more concerned with … maintaining those connections than with being fascinated by the people involved. You could say he cultivated his network. It’s important to distinguish between those Edward wanted to impress—those he wanted to let know when he’d written another book—and those who truly impressed him. For example, he admired the educational psychologist Howard Gardner far more than any figure from the aristocracy. Edward may have greatly appreciated some aspects of Prince Philip’s work, particularly the initiatives that were less in the public eye … such as his commitment to the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award or his efforts toward environmental protection, which King Charles is now continuing. He valued meaningful contributions and substantial achievements far more than titles and the supposed popularity of the person he was dealing with. On the other hand, we must give credit where credit is due: Edward would likely have liked to have been knighted, and at times he expressed his… dissatisfaction that he had not received this «official recognition.» As you can see—he was a thoroughly complex character. (laughs)!
The same goes for his work, right? Edward de Bono has been «in vogue» for many years, primarily because of two ideas: the concept of the «six thinking hats,» which is often used by management trainers, and the concept of «lateral thinking,» which is frequently cited by «creatives.» But that’s only a fraction of his work, isn’t it?
Exactly—and both are often oversimplified. «Lateral thinking» is frequently interpreted as «creative thinking,» but it is far more than that. Edward described it as a change in the pattern system within the brain’s self-organizing structures. That might sound a bit technical, which is why he coined the term «lateral thinking»—a term that eventually even found its way into dictionaries.
Can you decode it for us?
«Lateral thinking» refers to the fact that we humans tend to follow established patterns in our thinking—even when doing so doesn’t lead us to our goal, that is, to the solution to a problem. Edward urges us to recognize this and to «challenge» our individual thought patterns over and over again. To help people do this, he developed tools and games that make this «challenging» process both structured and entertaining. He mostly tested his ideas with his two sons, Casper and Charlie—playing with them as if he were a child himself. For Edward, one thing was clear: if what he advocates isn’t fun, then it won’t work.
I remember an interview with the designer Sir Paul Smith, in which he quoted Edward de Bono and praised his «childlike, not childish» approach. Sir Paul said that he himself tries to act in a similar way.
I can easily imagine what he meant. Take, for example, the «L-Game» that Edward invented—it’s like chess, but with only four pieces, so you can play it anywhere, even on a plane or during a car ride. You don’t need to know many rules, but it really gets your brain going … while having fun at the same time! It also has a competitive edge, which de Bono really liked. The L-Game is a way to be «playfully provocative.».
«»Lateral thinking’ is often interpreted as ‘creative thinking,’ but it is much more than that.”
It's interesting that you use the word «provocative»—because I came across it often while researching de Bono. In your view, was he a provocateur?
At the very least, he wasn’t a diplomat (laughs). He didn’t sugarcoat anything, openly challenged egos and power, and always spoke his mind. It’s important to note that Edward wasn’t driven by the typical motivations—money, power, or status—that often attract others to positions of influence. His attitude toward money was pragmatic, even if the media liked to portray it differently during his lifetime—he saw it as a means to an end, nothing more. Women and sex were a much stronger driving force for him… he was, after all, a bon vivant. In general, however, he acted and thought very independently, and that was reflected in the way he interacted with those around him. He wouldn’t let anyone take him for a fool. If someone tried to oversimplify his complex theories and somehow seemed… immune to Edwards«—usually very patient—explanations, he could get very, very annoyed. And he didn’t trust the media very much, especially during the years when he was at the height of his fame. He felt that many journalists were only interested in headlines, but not in the »true story.” Sometimes, if you ask me, he went a little overboard with that bias. On the other hand, when journalists ask me about de Bono today, the first thing they always want to know is whether we had an affair (laughs).
«Unlike artificial intelligence, which is limited by the imagination of its creators, our brains work »without limits.’”
They say he wasn't a diplomat—but he was a citizen of the world, wasn't he?
Yes. The Maltese would proudly call him «one of their own,» but although he loved his homeland, Edward thought globally—long before the Internet and the ultimate interconnectedness of the world that exists today. In fact, he was someone who had no use for boundaries. He understood the immense potential of the human brain—how powerful, even frightening, it can be when you realize just what is possible. Unlike artificial intelligence, which is limited by the imagination of its creators, our brains operate «without limits.» Incidentally, this is also why he wrote *Six Value Medals*: You can teach someone to think laterally, but if that person has dishonest motives, de Bono’s school of thought can be misused. He wanted to… at least curb that.
He also wanted to see his theories—and the accompanying set of values—integrated into the British school curriculum; he even spoke with then-Prime Minister Tony Blair about it. Even though that ultimately didn’t happen—why was it so important to de Bono?
He was firmly convinced that without «critical thinking» instruction in schools, children and adolescents would be more susceptible to various ideologies—and he doubted that even great philosophers such as Aristotle, Socrates, or Plato could provide the necessary tools to counteract this. He viewed their teachings—Aristotle’s emphasis on categories, Socrates‘ argumentative approach of ‘I’m right, you’re wrong,« and Plato’s belief in an absolute truth—as outdated. »Truth is perception in the moment,« he said—and he considered the era of Greek philosophy to be a thing of the past.
That probably didn't win him many friends at the universities …
Nevertheless, he argued that life continues to evolve, and that this also applies to our thinking. He feared that if we do not teach children how to think (as opposed to what to think), they will become increasingly susceptible to manipulation, especially as advertising and political messages become ever more sophisticated. He criticized the traditional focus of school curricula on subjects like English and math, which, in his view, limited thinking: grammar and arithmetic rules would lead to linear thinking becoming the «gold standard» …
… and he didn't like that.
No. He would have liked to see students engage more with art—because he was convinced that, for example, a discussion about a painting leaves much more room for arguments and intellectual debate than the question «What is two plus two?» He devoted an entire book—bearing the same title—to questions that elicit only «I’m right, you’re wrong» answers. Along with *Serious Creativity*, *Six Value Medals*, *The Happiness Purpose*, and *Future Positive*, it’s one of my personal favorites. But among the 66 works he wrote over the course of his long life, there’s actually something for everyone (laughs). If you want to read his «dissertation,» I recommend «The Mechanism of Mind»; later works like «Why I Want to Be King of Australia» and «The Happiness Purpose» are more like workshop guides that make his ideas accessible.
«Edward would have liked to see students given more opportunities to engage with art.»
What should people learn about Edward de Bono when they read your biography, *Love Laterally*?
As I said at the beginning: He was warm-hearted, brilliant, and multifaceted. He was extremely generous, not only when it came to explaining his thoughts, but also with his—often very limited—time. He was charmingly eccentric: In his later years, Edward would eat breakfast three times a day, drinking vast amounts of chamomile tea, which he believed was «good for the brain.» He would sit on my porch, and we’d talk for hours; I remember the mischievous twinkle in his eyes whenever I’d say, «You seem very calm today, very ‚Zen.‘» I knew he didn’t like that «box,» and he knew I liked to tease him about it. «Whatever you’re accusing me of, that’s not who I am!» he grumbled back. And he got back at me with backhanded compliments like, «Oh, you’re finally thinking freely! Just a little bit, but at least it’s a start!» (laughs). I hope that people reading my book will see the man beyond the popular theories—and I try to shed light on the profound system of thought that gave rise to these theories in the first place. As you know, Edward de Bono was nominated for the Nobel Prize in 2005 but ultimately didn’t win it. He deserves so much more recognition—and he’ll get it once he’s truly understood.
Sarah Tucker is a multi-award-winning British journalist and bestselling author. Her work often focuses on her travels around the world and the impressions she gathers along the way. For her latest book, *Love Laterally*, she delved deeply into the life and work of Edward de Bono—she met regularly with the Maltese polymath until his death in 2021 and was close friends with him.
«Love Laterally» is the official biography of Edward de Bono. The book was published by Aurora Metro / Supernova Books in early September 2024 and is available online and through bookstores.
This article first appeared in the m&k print edition 8-9/2024.
