Dr de Bono, the ‘Six Frames’ Thinking Method, and Combatting Fake News

Recently, I read an e-book by the renowned author Dr Edward de Bono titled Six Frames: For Thinking about Information.
Dr de Bono’s works are already deeply familiar to Myanmar audiences. Myanmar writer Saya Myat Nyein successfully translated his famous works, Six Thinking Hats and Six Action Shoes.
Authored by the world-renowned philosopher Dr Edward de Bono, Six Frames was first published by Vermilion in 2008. Dr. de Bono is globally recognized as a pioneer in the fields of creative and lateral thinking. Often hailed as the “software writer for the human brain,” his methodologies have been adopted by leading global corporations such as IBM, Microsoft, Nokia, and Siemens. Accenture listed him among the 50 most influential business thinkers of our time, and a panel of South African scholars included him in a list of the 250 most influential people in human history.

Timeless Relevance in the Information Age
There is a distinct reason for this extensive introduction. Dr de Bono’s 18-year-old book serves as a guiding light for modern humanity, currently overwhelmed and disoriented by information overload. The thinking frames presented in the book remain highly practical and remarkably applicable today.
We live in the Information Age, where data is acquired with effortless ease. While the practice of feeding information into computers for analysis has flourished, it remains an unreliable habit. Computers cannot adequately evaluate the accuracy, interest, objectivity, and true value of a piece of news; this is a nuanced task that can only be executed effectively through human cognition.
In this book, Dr de Bono introduces the concept of “Truth Paste” – the practice of packaging information to make it appear as the absolute truth. Today’s purveyors of fake news heavily rely on this exact tactic. Dr de Bono argues that exaggerating events and overusing dramatic adjectives like “egotistical” or “terrifying” transforms information from factual reporting into mere personal opinion.
To recognize these deceptive tactics and address one of the greatest challenges of our time – combatting fake news and misinformation – Dr de Bono’s Six Frames can be applied as follows:

Analyzing News with the Six Frames
1. The Triangle Frame (Purpose)
The first frame is the triangle. The author notes that a triangle resembles an arrowhead, thus symbolizing purpose. When encountering a piece of news, the first cognitive step is to ask: “With what intent is this information being disseminated?” What is this news trying to say? Why is it necessary, valuable, or impactful? Where should this information be sought? Because most fake news is deliberately crafted to panic or mislead the public rather than educate them, analyzing it through the Triangle Frame necessitates these critical questions.
2. The Circle Frame (Accuracy)
A circle represents the centre of a bullseye, symbolizing the verification of accuracy. Dr de Bono suggests basing the use of the Circle Frame on the following points:
Authority: Is the author a trusted organization or expert? Do they have the credentials to speak on the matter?
Comparative Accuracy: Can this information be cross-checked with other credible news outlets?
Doubts: Are there inherent elements within the provided information that invite scepticism?
3. The Square Frame (Perspective)
A square has four equal sides, reflecting the need to approach a problem from all directions. This frame represents perspective. Since not all news is written with multi-sided fairness, this frame challenges the reader to assess bias.
Bias: Does the news have a one-sided, persuasive intent, much like an advertisement?
Adjectives: Heavy use of adjectives usually reflects the author’s personal views. Readers must recognize when news shifts from fact to opinion.
4. The Heart Frame (Interest)
The heart universally commands deep interest, making it the perfect symbol for this frame. Fake and misleading news frequently employs shocking or surprising headlines to easily capture public attention. If a piece of news excessively triggers your emotions, you must ask: “Is this designed solely to agitate me?”
5. The Diamond Frame (Value)
Humans place a high value on diamonds, making them the symbol of worth. One must evaluate what genuine benefit (Real Value) the news provides. What is the value of the news? Does it answer your needs? While most fake news may be thrilling to read, it often fails to provide practical value. Readers should be wary if the information merely offers “Confirmation Value” – simply validating what they already want to believe.
6. The Slab Frame (Conclusion)

The final stage acts as a platform. In this book, the slab symbolizes the outcome. The final step involves placing everything on the slab for a transparent conclusion. Is the acquired information satisfactory? Are you satisfied with the accuracy of the facts? What new questions does this news raise? These elements are analyzed through Slab Frame thinking.

A Daily Checklist for Fact-Checking using Six Frames
Based on the Six Frames book, I would like to offer an expanded thinking model – without losing the essence of the original text – that can be used as a practical, daily checklist for verifying news:
Purpose (Triangle): Is this news meant to inform, or is it deliberately designed to incite fear and anger?
Accuracy (Circle): Is the source reliable? Has this been reported by other legitimate news agencies?
Perspective (Square): Does the article present pure facts, or is it heavily biased with emotionally charged words and subjective allegations?
Emotion (Heart): Is the headline clickbait designed to shock? Is it intentionally provoking your feelings?
Value (Diamond): Is the news practically useful, or is it just echoing what you want to believe? Is it a real diamond or a fake?
Conclusion (Slab): Considering the points above, should you believe this news? Is it truly appropriate to share it further?

Conclusion
The expanded thinking derived from Dr Edward de Bono’s “Six Frames” can serve as a robust mental filter, preventing us from blindly trusting everything we read. Ultimately, combatting fake news requires more than just censorship and restrictions; long-term success can only be achieved by elevating individual critical thinking skills.
I hope these “Six Frames” serve as an effective manual to help easily spot the deceptive illusions of “Truth Paste” and to empower readers to make sound decisions without getting lost in the daily, overwhelming waves of information.
Reference – Six Frames: For Thinking about Information by Edward de Bono

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