6 Thinking Hats

Edward de Bono defined six styles of thinking:

1. White Hat Thinking is about facts and gathering information
2. Red Hat Thinking is about emotion and intuition
3. Black Hat Thinking is critical thinking and is sometimes seen as negative
4. Yellow Hat Thinking looks for the positive
5. Green Hat Thinking is creative
6. Blue Hat Thinking is about controlling the process

I've already mentioned the Blue and White hats in relation to politicians. Interactive Democracy is also a Blue Hat process and the debate each issue creates will draw in White Hat data from a multitude of sources. The ePetition aspect of Interactive Democracy provides creative ideas which are likely to provoke other ideas and the whole voting system absorbs the predilections of voters for Red, Black and Yellow Hat thinking.