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Danielle's post reminded me of something called the "Six Thinking
Hats."

This is meant to help people be aware of different ways to consider an
idea or problem, and that we can switch between different thinking modes just
like changing hats, instead of having to stick with just one all the time, or
repeatedly clashing with someone wearing a different color:

White hat -- neutral and objective, concerned with facts & figures
Red hat -- the emotional view
Black hat -- careful & cautious, the devil's advocate
Yellow hat -- sunny & positive
Green hat -- associated with fertile growth, creativity & new ideas
Blue hat -- cool, the color of the sky, above everything else, the organizing
hat.

Quote from the international consultant who developed this (don't
trust him unless it makes sense for you personally, of course! <g>) :
"The six thinking hats allow us to conduct our thinking as a conductor
might lead an orchestra. . .with the Six Hats method, the emphasis in on
'what can be' rather than just on 'what is,' and on how we design a way forward --
not on who is right and who is wrong.' "

A link to more:
http://www.parentdirectededucation.org/Thinking%20Parent/Six%20Hats.htm

We've just naturally used all these different types of thinking and
interacting in our unschooling, much as danielle described. But for some people,
the hats construct might help open up some new thinking. And maybe it might
be useful with in-laws or husbands who needing you to lay out some sanctioned
"method" behind what looks like chaos to them. <g>

JJ

danielle.conger@... writes:


> Sometimes we discuss things in terms of aesthetics, like "weren't those
> costumes beautiful?" or "those images were amazing!" Sometimes in terms of
> appreciation, like "I can't imagine all the work that went into making this!" or
> "I wonder how long it took just to put on the makeup." Sometimes in terms of
> judgement: "I didn't like the way he looked at the world because..." or "he
> had absolutely no grounds for the arguments he was making." Sometimes in terms
> of personal application, like "If I were in that situation, I wonder what I
> would do?" or "that really made me rethink the way I thought about x."
> Sometimes in terms of emotion: "I was so sad when x happened" or "I was so mad when
> so and so did x."
>





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Betsy

**White hat -- neutral and objective, concerned with facts & figures
Red hat -- the emotional view
Black hat -- careful & cautious, the devil's advocate
Yellow hat -- sunny & positive
Green hat -- associated with fertile growth, creativity & new ideas
Blue hat -- cool, the color of the sky, above everything else, the
organizing
hat.**

Shouldn't there be a rakish purple hat of mirth and satire? It's too
cold for me to be running around hatless. <g>

Betsy

[email protected]

ecsamhill@... writes:


>
> **White hat -- neutral and objective, concerned with facts & figures
> Red hat -- the emotional view
> Black hat -- careful & cautious, the devil's advocate
> Yellow hat -- sunny & positive
> Green hat -- associated with fertile growth, creativity & new ideas
> Blue hat -- cool, the color of the sky, above everything else, the
> organizing
> hat.**
>
> Shouldn't there be a rakish purple hat of mirth and satire? It's too
> cold for me to be running around hatless. <g>
>
> Betsy
>
>

LOL - My longtime mentor is coming to the end of his active career,
and wrote me this week that he'd lost his sense of humor. I wrote back that I
found everything funny these days and asked whether he thought that was a sign
of perspective, or hysteria.
His answer made me suspect that he really HAS lost his sense of humor!
<g> JJ


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