lateral-thinking · diff
v2026.5.17 to v2026.10.5
44 added, 48 removed. Audit A to A.
---
name: lateral-thinking
description: >
- Use this skill when the user asks for lateral thinking (including naming it
- or directing use/apply/run with obvious misspellings; decisive) or wants to
- break a sticky pattern—provocations, concept fans, challenge questions, and
- deliberate reframes to escape local optima. Use when ideation feels stuck,
- options feel incremental, or they want surprising angles (including after
- conventional brainstorming stalls), even if they never say "lateral thinking"
- or "provocation". Skip when they need a single compliant rule lookup, tight
- logical proof with no exploration phase, or no appetite for playful what-if
- moves.
+ Use for lateral thinking, or when ideas feel stuck or incremental: "we've tried everything", "need a surprising angle", "break the pattern", "give me a wild idea that could work". Uses provocations and reframes. Skip for rule lookups or strict logical proofs.
license: MIT
metadata:
author: ysskrishna
- version: "2026.5.17"
+ version: "2026.10.5"
---
# Lateral Thinking
- Movement before judgment. Treat provocative lines as **stepping stones**, not final positions.
-
- **How to run it with this skill:** one clearly headed section per move in the default order from Setup (Provocation (Po) → Extract principle → Concept fan → Candidates), or the alternate path the user chose.
-
- ---
-
- ## Setup (run before starting)
-
- In one short block:
-
- 1. **Stuck point** — what pattern or assumption feels rigid?
- 2. **Default pass** — Provocation (Po) → Extract principle → Concept fan → Candidates (state this line)
+ Edward de Bono's method for escaping a rut: **movement before judgment**. A provocative line is a stepping stone, never a final position.
- If safety or legal constraints are unclear, ask at most 3 questions in one message before generating provocations. Note any remaining gaps in plain language (no bracket tags in Setup).
+ ## When to use
- If the user asks for **random stimulus** instead of a Po, replace the **Provocation** step with **Random entry**: one random noun or image, then **several bridges** (property → analogy → mechanism → application) into ideas.
+ - Brainstorming stalled or every option is a small variation of the current one.
+ - The user wants a surprising angle, a reframe, or to challenge an assumption they call "just how it works".
+ - Conventional ideation already ran and produced nothing fresh.
- If the user asks to **challenge implicit rules**, replace **Provocation** / **Extract principle** / **Concept fan** with: list implicit rules → for each, **Challenge / Reframe / Test** (smallest experiment) → **Escape** (two ways to sidestep the load-bearing rule) → then **Candidates** only from that thread.
+ Skip: a single compliant rule lookup, a tight logical proof, or users with no appetite for playful what-if moves.
- ---
+ ## Before you start
- ## The Moves
+ 1. State in one block: **Stuck point** (which pattern or assumption feels rigid) and **Pass**: Provocation, Extract principle, Concept fan, Candidates (or the alternate path below).
+ 2. **Gather first.** If you can read the project or earlier attempts, check what was already tried so you do not repeat it. Ask up to 3 questions only for safety or legal limits that tools cannot answer.
+ 3. **Light path.** Small ask: one Po, one principle, 2 ideas per fan level, 3 candidates.
- ### Provocation
+ Alternate paths (use only when the user asks):
+ - **Random entry:** replace Provocation with one random noun or image, then bridge in 3 steps (property, analogy, mechanism, application).
+ - **Challenge implicit rules:** list the rules everyone follows; for each give **Challenge / Reframe / Smallest test**; pick the load-bearing rule and give two ways to sidestep it; then Candidates only from that thread.
- Offer **one primary Po** (statement can be illogical or impossible) formatted:
+ ## Moves
- > **Po:** … — **Movement idea:** what useful idea does this **suggest** if we treat it as a springboard?
+ ### 1. Provocation
+ One primary Po (it may be illogical or impossible):
- ### Extract principle
+ > **Po:** ... - **Movement idea:** what useful idea does this suggest if treated as a springboard?
- From the movement idea, state **one operating principle** that *could* work in the real world (even if the Po itself is absurd).
+ ### 2. Extract principle
+ From the movement idea, state one operating principle that could work in the real world, even if the Po itself is absurd.
- ### Concept fan
+ ### 3. Concept fan
+ Step back from the principle to broader aims, then fan forward. Three levels, per de Bono:
+ - **Directions:** the broadest approaches ("make the problem disappear", "make waiting pleasant").
+ - **Concepts:** general methods under each direction.
+ - **Ideas:** specific, actionable ways to carry out a concept.
- Widen from the principle along three directions — **broaden**, **deepen**, **redirect** — with **several branches** per direction unless the user wants more.
+ Give a few branches at each level. If nothing is good enough, step back one more level and fan out again.
- ### Candidates
+ ### 4. Candidates
+ Several actionable ideas, each tagged `near-term`, `stretch` or `experimental`.
- **Several** actionable ideas. Tag each: `near-term` / `stretch` / `experimental`.
+ ## Rules
- ---
+ 1. Never present a Po as a recommendation. Always pair it with its movement idea or principle.
+ 2. If a provocation touches safety, ethics or law, stop and name the conflict. Do not rationalize harm.
+ 3. Judge only in Candidates, and only for tagging feasibility.
- ## Execution Rules
+ ## Pitfalls
- 1. Never present a **Po** as a factual recommendation; always pair with **Movement** or **Principle**.
- 2. If a provocation touches safety, ethics, or law, **stop** and surface the conflict explicitly — do not rationalize harm.
- 3. One response for all moves unless interactive pacing is requested.
+ - A Po that is merely a bad idea. It should shift your thinking, not be wrong for its own sake.
+ - Jumping to Candidates from the Po and skipping the principle. The principle is what makes it portable.
+ - Fan levels that all say the same thing. Each level should widen or narrow, not repeat.
- ---
+ Worked example: [references/example.md](references/example.md).
- ## Checklist (verify before responding)
+ ## Checklist
- - [ ] Setup: stuck point + default pass (note if Random entry or rule-challenge path used)
- - [ ] Po paired with movement; or alternate path completed as requested
- - [ ] Concept fan has three directions with multiple branches each
- - [ ] Candidates tagged near-term / stretch / experimental
- - [ ] No Po presented as literal policy
+ - [ ] Stuck point and Pass stated (alternate path noted if used)
+ - [ ] Po paired with a movement idea, or the alternate path completed
+ - [ ] Fan covers Directions, Concepts and Ideas
+ - [ ] Candidates tagged near-term, stretch or experimental
+ - [ ] No Po presented as policy