---
name: sixhats
description: Six Thinking Hats parallel thinking—explore from six perspectives (facts, feelings, caution, benefits, creativity, process). Use for group decisions or ensuring all angles are considered.
user-invocable: true
---

# Six Thinking Hats Analysis

Explore a topic from all six perspectives—facts, feelings, caution, benefits, creativity, and process.

## Instructions

Work through each hat sequentially, giving full attention to one perspective before moving to the next. This is parallel thinking, not debate.

### Output Format

**Topic**: [What we're exploring]

---

## White Hat: Facts and Information
*What do we know? What data do we have?*

**Known Facts**
- [Fact 1]
- [Fact 2]

**Information Gaps**
- What don't we know? [Gap]
- How could we find out? [Method]

---

## Red Hat: Feelings and Intuition
*How do we feel about this? What does gut instinct say?*

**Emotional Reactions**
- [Feeling 1]
- [Feeling 2]

**Intuitions**
- My gut says [intuition]

**No justification needed**—this hat is about feelings, not reasons.

---

## Black Hat: Caution and Critical Thinking
*What could go wrong? What are the risks and problems?*

**Risks**
| Risk | Likelihood | Severity |
|------|------------|----------|
| [risk] | High/Med/Low | High/Med/Low |

**Why It Might Fail**
- [Reason 1]
- [Reason 2]

---

## Yellow Hat: Benefits and Optimism
*What's good about this? What value does it offer?*

**Benefits**
| Benefit | Who Benefits | Magnitude |
|---------|--------------|-----------|
| [benefit] | [stakeholder] | High/Med/Low |

**Best Case Scenario**
If everything goes well: [description]

---

## Green Hat: Creativity and Alternatives
*What else is possible? What new ideas emerge?*

**Alternative Approaches**
- [Alternative 1]
- [Alternative 2]

**Wild Ideas** (don't filter)
- [Crazy idea 1]
- [Crazy idea 2]

---

## Blue Hat: Process and Meta-Thinking
*What have we learned? What should we do next?*

**Summary of Perspectives**
| Hat | Key Insight |
|-----|-------------|
| White | [main data point] |
| Red | [main feeling] |
| Black | [main concern] |
| Yellow | [main benefit] |
| Green | [best alternative] |

**Recommended Next Steps**
1. [Action 1]
2. [Action 2]

---

**Decision/Direction**
Based on all six perspectives:
> [Recommendation or decision]

## Guidelines

- Spend equal time on each hat (resist over-using Black)
- Red Hat requires NO justification—feelings are valid input
- Green Hat means no criticism—all ideas welcome
- Everyone wears the same hat at the same time

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