[Neurons] 2016 Neurons #54 Constructionism

[L. Michael Hall]

From: L. Michael Hall

2016 "Neurons" Meta Reflections - #54

November 21, 2016

Basic NLP Concepts #2

 

CONSTRUCTIONISM

 


Question: What is the most basic NLP concept?   I vote for constructionism.
This refers to how we humans construct in our minds our understanding of
reality.  Early NLP literature said: "We do not deal with reality, but with
reality as filtered and processed through our mental maps."   What's real
"out there" beyond our nervous systems does not enter into our minds-that
territory is what it is.  We do not deal with reality, but with our maps
about it.  There is a great gulf between reality and our sense of reality.
Engineer Alfred Korzybski described the gap with the words, "The map is not
the territory." 

 

Whatever you mentally map as your understanding about reality is a map.  It
is not and never can be the reality.  As a map does not consist of the
territory it represents, the words you use, and the internal pictures you
entertain, are not the event.  The territory "out there" is independent of
your wishes, hopes, and intentions.  While this may seem obvious, yet most
personal failures occur precisely because we do not adequately acknowledge
and adjust ourselves to reality.  Map and territory are different logical
levels-external reality and internal perceptive.  If what you think and
perceive is not the territory, then all you have to navigate that territory
is via your perceptions.  So we ask: 

Is your map adequate?  Does it correspond structurally to the territory?  Do
you have a map that encourages you to face it, deal with it, and adjust
yourself?

 

When you see an apple, you are actually constructing an internal picture of
it.  The rods and cones of your eyes give you the sense of "color."  Your
nose creates a smell.  Yet what is "out there" does not have color or smell-
those features are part of your perceptual filters.  You construct an image
along with beliefs as your mental map, then you use your constructions
(called "knowledge," "understanding," "beliefs," etc.) to navigate the
territory of the world.  Now, if the map is not the territory, then do the
following: 

 


1) Expect differences in maps.  Every person responds to things according to
their maps, not according to reality.  Given the map/territory distinction,
each person's perception determines his or her perceptions and responses.
Every person responds to the world according to his map about it.
Neuro-linguistic maps consist of beliefs, values, attitudes, language,
memories, and dozens of other psychological filters.

 

Those shocked by the election of Donald Trump must have had expectations in
their mental maps based solely on the mainstream media.  They somehow did
not take the full reality into account- things typically not reported by the
media.  Perhaps they confused what the media said with the reality being
pointed to.  Perhaps they thought that the political rhetoric from both
Clinton and Trump were to be taken literally and forgot that politicians
seem to always engage in name-calling and exaggeration.

 

2) Explore differences in each other's maps.  When there are differences
between you and others-the difference is a function of the constructions.
Expect it.  Explore it.  The fact that others have constructed things in
different ways provides an unique opportunity.  You can try on a new
perspective, you can lose your own perspective, you can discover how the
other's sense of reality works, you can become better acquainted with "human
nature," etc.  What an opportunity!  In terms of the Presidential election,
if you were disappointed you were probably listening only to those who
agreed with you and not even considering the viewpoint of those on the other
side.  Might be a good idea.

 

3) Explore your own response patterns.  Your own responses to people and to
events occur according to the mental maps you have constructed.  Do you
understand your own reactions and responses?  Do you know how you set
yourself up for disappointment through expectations and demands?  Every
experience gives you this opportunity.  When you know yourself better, you
can be better prepared and make better choices.  Because all of us use our
models to guide our perceptions, thoughts, emotions, and actions, when you
understand the constructions that you have invented or received-you are in a
much better position to adjust to external reality.  After all, that reality
does not operate by your wishes, beliefs, or wants. 

 

4) Check the ecology and the quality of your constructions.  If your "sense
of reality" is your construct, then the usefulness of your mental maps
depends on their correspondence to the territory. Korzybski wrote this: 

"A map is not the territory it represents, but, if correct, it has a similar
structure to the territory, which accounts for its usefulness. ... If we
reflect upon our languages, we find that at best they must be considered
only as maps.  A word is not the object it represents; and languages exhibit
also this peculiar self-reflexiveness, that we can analyze languages by
linguistic means. ...  As words are not the objects which they represent,
structure, and structure alone, becomes the only link which connects our
verbal processes with the empirical data. ...  Words are not the things we
are speaking about... If words are not things, or maps are not the actual
territory, then, obviously, the only possible link between objective world
and the linguistic world is found in structure, and structure alone.   The
only usefulness of a map or a language depends on the similarity of
structure between the empirical world and the map-languages." (Science and
Sanity, 1980 Edition, pp. 58-60).

 

With the recent election in the United States, thousands took to the streets
to "protest."  They claim to be depressed, shocked, disappointed, in fear,
grieving, etc.  And whatever they feel, they should feel-given their maps.
What always explains our subjective (and emotional) experiences are our
maps.  Map governs experiences.  The good news is that when we change our
maps, we transform our subjective experiences.  The good news is that we can
learn to discern reality better, update our maps, adjust to what's real on
the outside, and more successfully reach out objectives.

 

How are your constructions?  Do they provide you a way to move through
life's experiences so you are successful and effective?  To achieve that,
NLP's first concept of constructionism provides us a direction and a
resource. 

 

 

A final thought.  Al Pittampalli has recently (2016) written a powerful book
about the ability to be persuaded, Persuadable: How Great Leaders Change
Their Minds to Change the World.  What he describes is a key quality of
great leaders, namely, their power to be open and to change their minds.

"... persuadability, the genuine willingness and ability to change your mind
in the face of new evidence.  Being persuadable requires rejecting absolute
certainty, treating your beliefs as temporary, and acknowledging the
possibilities that no matter how confident you are about any particular
opinion - you could be wrong." (pp. 4-5)

 

In fact, he says that the ability to be persuaded is "the ultimate
competitive advantage" because it leads to smarter decisions, more agility,
active open-mindedness, etc.  "Actively open-minded leaders are in a hurry
to find out the truth no matter what it is, good or bad." (p. 11).  Even
more important, it saves us from the confirmation bias that plagues anyone
with a strong opinion.  When we are persuadable...

"... we can then treat all of our beliefs as initial guesses with particular
probabilities associated with them, then we can welcome new evidence as an
opportunity to get closer to seeing the world the way it actually is." (p.
111)

 

Now isn't that the design of the Map/Territory distinction- over our
lifetimes to get closer and "closer to seeing the world the way it actually
is?"  If we cherry-pick only the information that supports what we want to
believe, we will never discover the critical facts about anything.  We will
then become a victim of the confirmation bias which will keep us blind and
deaf and set us up for disappointments. 

"Whenever we believe something, regardless of whether we have a stake in
that belief or not, we tend to interpret new information in a way that is
consistent with that belief." (p. 94)

 

Leonardo da Vinci himself spoke to this when he wrote, "The greatest
deception men suffer is from their own opinions."  The point?  Be open
minded enough to consider opposite opinions.  And when confronted with
someone who believes the diametric opposite, ask yourself, "What are some
reasons I may be wrong?  How could this other view be right?"  Do this
remembering that the map is not the territory.

 




 

 

L. Michael Hall, Ph.D.

               Neuro-Semantics Executive Director 

               Neuro-Semantics International

P.O. Box 8

Clifton, CO. 81520 USA                             

               1 970-523-7877 

                    Dr. Hall's email:
<mailto:meta at acsol.net\hich\af31506\dbch\af31505\loch\f31506> meta at acsol.net


    ISNS new logo

    

What is Neuro-Semantic NLP?

Neurons:  Get your free subscription to the weekly International \Post on
Neuro-Semantics by Dr. L. Michael Hall. Subscribe at:
wwww.neurosemantics.com

 

    Coaching: For world-class Coach Training - The Meta-Coaching System,
www.neurosemantics.com/metacoaching   Meta-Coach Reflections sent every
Wednesday to the group of Licensed Meta-Coaches.
www.metacoachfoundation.org  

 

Self-Actualization: Neuro-Semantics launched the New Human Potential
Movement in 2007, for information about this, see
<http://www.self-actualizing.org/> www.self-actualizing.org  

 

NSP --- Neuro-Semantic Publications: Order books from Neuro-Semantic
website,  <http://www.neurosemantics.com/> www.neurosemantics.com  click on
Products and Services and then the Catalogue of books.  Order via paypal.  

 

 

 

 

 

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <https://pairlist8.pair.net/pipermail/neurons/attachments/20161120/1bd0ffa8/attachment-0001.html>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image001.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 10627 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <https://pairlist8.pair.net/pipermail/neurons/attachments/20161120/1bd0ffa8/attachment-0001.jpg>