Edward de Bono On Changing Thinking

Psychiatric Labels Meet Their Match:
Edward de Bono On Dogma

There are so many forces that deny a scientific truth because it conflicts with their ideology. ~ Neil deGrasse Tyson

What's to Debate?

Why, you may well ask, is everyone so opinionated about psychiatry and psychiatric meds? The answer is quite simple: if the diagnostic coding system is based upon appearances, then, by default, everyone is board certified in psychiatry. Read the book, look at the person's appearance, make a judgement, and recommend the medication for that appearance.

Several years ago I gave an addiction and SPECT brain imaging presentation in LA, actually at the Beverly Hills Peninsula, and the room was filled with LA psychiatrists – the cognoscenti¹ I was told. Early in the evening I was horrified to hear one of the locals loudly bragging about his LA television interview that afternoon. Regarding a well known celebrity who demonstrated problems with impulsivity he pontificated: “If it walks like a duck and talks like a duck, it must be bipolar.”

Labels and Dogma

If that's the standard of care, then psychiatric stigma, psychiatric disdain, psychiatric distrust, and medication distrust will find abundant numbers of ready participants – at many levels of responsibility.  Neither celebrities nor dog-catchers should become boxed in, limited, by inadequate labels.  Psychiatric imprecision becomes a game for all the masses – and an even more serious problem for anyone with a psychiatric problem. Edward de Bono would not approve.

But let's not throw the baby out with the bath water. These challenges do exist, but we've made considerable progress in the many years since psychoanalysis was the standard of care, back in the 1970s.  The debate about psychiatric diagnosis repeats itself on the street and in the news because the current diagnostic code is, as Edward de Bono notes with his new word “Ebne: Excellent – but not enough.” [See his video below for Ebne discussion at 6.50 min]

The current diagnostic coding system often works fairly well, but let's do call a spade a spade. If it isn't adequate let's consider improving our thinking, our perceptual apparatus, and reframe outdated dogma.

Edward de Bono Weighs In

Remember my friends, Edward was nominated for the Nobel Prize, is on the faculty of Cambridge, London, Harvard and Oxford Universities, and is recognized as one of the thought leaders in the world regarding the evolution of thinking and creativity.  For more de Bono videos see this inclusive page with some notes on our times together in the mid 90s: http://www.corepsych.com/de-bono

First review this video below, and, if a hurry,  jump right to 6.50 min, wherein Edward elaborates on his new word “Ebne:” on dogma, change and perception.

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Creative Innovation 2010 – Rethinking The Future – 18:27 min, [“Ebne” @6.50 min,
See especially: “Excellent on thinking and logic, inadequate at creating value” 4:43 min]

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More Edward de Bono

Do take a minute to see these several other de Bono videos. If you liked the Neil deGrasse Tyson post, and this de Bono post, you will much appreciate de Bono's other perspectives on thinking and management.

Stay Tuned for The Master: Alfred Korzybski

And if you like these two guys you will love Alfred Korzybski. I've mentioned him in several previous posts, so stay tuned – he's the past master of semantics, change and reductionistic Aristotelian thinking. The title of his most important book: Science and Sanity: An Introduction to Non-Aristotelian Systems and General Semantics – my favorite book of all time – it changed my life.

See my Amazon review of Science and Sanity Here.

One of his memorable observations: The map is not the territory. See the details at < this link.

Stay tuned for more on labels, thinking and change,
cp
Dr Charles Parker
Author: New ADHD Medication Rules – Brain Science & Common Sense
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¹  Cognoscenti : persons who have superior knowledge and understanding of a particular field, especially in the fine arts, literature, and world of fashion

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