We’re the Canters.  We know what you can’t do.  We know how hard things are.  We know all the things that can go wrong.

You know us from childhood.  We are the part of you that never believed in the Little Engine That Could. 

When you want to do something that hasn’t been done before, we point out that it’s impossible.  Otherwise somebody would have already done it.

Some of our favorite sayings are:

It makes no sense to jump halfway across a ditch

Look before you leap, and then don’t leap

We have our debates with Uns.  Just take a single example:  The Uns want to take credit for the idea that ships can reach the East by sailing west.  Okay.  That sort of worked for Columbus.  Actually, we were right.  We told him he couldn’t reach the East that way.  He didn’t.  He just lucked into another place.

But we’re not going to knock Columbus.  We just want to remind you about all those other navigators that did listen to us.  And didn’t try sailing west.  And didn’t get killed trying.  And didn’t make the history books.

Or take that quote from Edison that the Hunters are so proud of. 

I have not failed, I've just found 1,000 ways that won't work.

That’s a thousand times the Canters were right.  Edison could have saved himself a lot of effort by listening to the Canters.

You’ve heard that people are descended from hunter-gatherers.  That makes people a cross between lions and cows.  We speak for the cows.  And before that sneer sticks to your face, notice that there are a lot more cows than lions.

The Canters also appear under one of de Bono's six hats.

Choose Clipit
The Canters can give you good advice when you are choosing.  Sometimes.

Plan Clipit
Listen to the Canters when you are planning.  You will have to cope with some of the obstacles they see.  And other people have their own Canters.  If other people have a say in your plan, part of that say will come from the Canters.

Troubleshoot Clipit
One reason people get this job is that they do not hear the Canters in the Planning Stage.

In the study of group processes, the role of the Canters is called "Devil's Advocate." 

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