It may come as a shock to readers to find that I put the highest value on formality and discipline in the thinking clubs. Because I am in favour of free-ranging, exploratory thinking and breaking out of rigid tracks, it might seem that I would avoid formality and rigid structures. In fact the opposite is the case. Since there are no right answers and no fixed ideas there has to be a very strong discipline of structure. Without such a structure there would be a drift, waffle and mess, just as in training for ballet dancing or for sport the benefit of discipline is that it gets things done. If thinking is a skill that is to be used in a focused and deliberate manner then we must be able to direct it at will. It is the very rigidity of structure that gives the freedom of content.

Time discipline is important. If a meeting is to last one hour then it should last exactly one hour. If a problem is to be thought about for three minutes then at the end of those three minutes a bell is rung and he thinking ceases. As I mentioned elsewhere in this book this sort of time discipline is actually liberating. It means that one can focus exactly on an issue. It means that thinking is being performed for a finite time - not until the problem has been solved.

Discipline and ritual are a good substitute for enthusiasm, as is well known in any monastery. Enthusiasm comes and goes and depends on the mood of the moment. Discipline keeps things going when the initial enthusiasm wanes and until a different sort of enthusiasm takes over. In addition, a formal discipline means that thinking can be directed at the subject matter instead of at the structure itself.

I hope I have made this point forcefully enough. Long experience has shown that it is extremely important in the development of thinking skills. Without it I do not believe the thinking clubs will work. For example, the meeting times need to be set in a formal manner well in advance (for instance the first and third Monday of each month), otherwise it becomes impossible to please everyone and the sense of commitment is lost.