On Deliberate Thinking Through Defined Roleplay

The first value of the six thinking hats is that of defined role-playing. The main restriction on thinking is ego defence, which is responsible for most of the practical faults of thinking. The hats allow us to think and say things that we could not otherwise think and say without risking our egos. Wearing the clown costume gives you full permission to play the clown. (p.29)

A primary advantage of the six thinking hats that de Bono repeats a few times in the book is the way it defines explicit roles for the process of thinking. Assuming everyone adopts the language and spirit of the method, they can benefit from the convenience of establishing “certain rules for the ‘game’ of thinking.” (p.30)

People are able to give due consideration to multiple aspects of their thinking by taking on the role of one of the six thinking hats:

White Hat White is neutral and objective. The white hat is concerned with objective facts and figures.

Red Hat Red suggests anger (seeing red), rage and emotions. The red hat gives the emotional view.

Black Hat Black is gloomy and negative. The black hat covers the negative aspects - why it cannot be done.

Yellow Hat Yellow is sunny and positive. The yellow hat is optimistic and covers hope and positive thinking.

Green Hat Green is grass, vegetation and abundant, fertile growth. The green hat indicates creativity and new ideas.

Blue Hat Blue is cool, and it is also the color of the sky, which is above everything else. The blue hat is concerned with control and the organization of the thinking process. Also the use of the other hats. (pp.31-32)

Here, I’m more interested in de Bono’s point about roleplay and rules of the game than the specifics of his hats. It suggests a parallel between idea of play and design process. Participation in a simple system of rules normalizes what might be a dauntingly ambiguous activity and can unlock alternative pathways for thinking.