There is no doubt that creativity is the most important human resource of all. Without creativity, there would be no progress, and we would be forever repeating the same patterns.
Edward De BonoRead
Effectiveness without values is a tool without a purpose.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Effectiveness is meaningless without the guidance of values.
This quote emphasizes the importance of values in determining the purpose of our actions. While being effective may lead to achieving results, without a solid foundation of values, those results can lack meaning and direction, ultimately rendering efforts ineffective in a profound sense.
Themes
EffectivenessValuesPurposeMeaningDirection
In practice
Example use cases
In a leadership seminar to discuss the role of values in achieving goals.
More from Edward De Bono
All quotes βDealing with complexity is an inefficient and unnecessary waste of time, attention and mental energy. There is never any justification for things being complex when they could be simple.
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As competition intensifies, the need for creative thinking increases. It is no longer enough to do the same thing better . . . no longer enough to be efficient and solve problems.
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Most of the mistakes in thinking are inadequacies of perception rather than mistakes of logic.
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(...) being right all the time acquires a huge importance in education, and there is this terror of being wrong. The ego is so tied to being right that later on in life you are reluctant to accept that you are ever wrong, because you are defending not the idea but your self-esteem. (...) this terror of being wrong means that people have enormous difficulties in changing ideas.
Edward De BonoRead
Argument is meant to reveal the truth, not to create it.
Edward De BonoRead
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