[Neurons] 2019 Neurons #35 RESPONDING TO INFORMATION

Sun Aug 4 04:10:35 EDT 2019

From: L. Michael Hall

2019 Neurons #35

August 5, 2019

RESPONDING TO INFORMATION

When "information" comes to you, how do you respond?  What we see constantly
in the news is reactivity.  People reacting before they even know all of the
relevant information.  Yet when people do this, they are doing several
unthinking and mindless things.  Here are some of them.

First, they are immediately and quickly assuming that the information is
true and unquestionable.  Big mistake!  How many times in recent years has
the "information" which was originally put out turned out to be wrong and
erroneous?  Dozens and dozens and dozens of times!  That's because there is
a time-lag between the first reports about some event or some statement and
the fuller story when all sides are examined.  Yet because some people are
so quick to emotionally and semantically react-that then becomes a secondary
problem.  Something that makes it harder for them to eventually adjust and
change their first reaction so that they can later embrace the truth.  The
problem?  Mindlessly reacting rather than mindfully responding.  They commit
themselves to a false version and get stuck, fearful of changing their
minds.

Second, they assume that the information is clean and undistorted.  Another
big mistake!  In fact, we can expect that most "information" is distorted,
biased, and therefore not clean.  After all, "information" that is spread
quickly and immediately by people usually is spread by those who have some
agenda in spreading it.  The problem here?  Biased spreading.  People
spreading it because they see that they can manipulate it and use it to make
a point.  The solution?  

           Question the source: Who is spreading this? 

           Question the agenda: For what purpose is someone spreading this?

           Question the context: When, where, with whom did this take
place?

Information is is distorted and not clean is either mis-information created
by people who only know part of the facts and do not have the whole story or
it is dys-information spread by people who are more concerned about making
their point, pushing their agenda, winning a point than the actual facts and
truth.

           Could this information contain mis-information and not all of
the facts?

           What facts or contexts are not being stated?  What is missing
from this information?

           Could this by dys-information pushed by someone who has a hidden
agenda?

Reacting to information with these assumptions then sets a person up to
"jump to conclusions" and over-generalize things.  These cognitive
distortions then creates more distortions and confusions as they amplify
negative emotional states.  And because the kind of thinking within the
cognitive distortions are "childish," it increases the sense of being
victimized.

None of this should actually be a problem at all for the NLP and
Neuro-Semantic trained person.  Why not?  Because the Meta-Model of language
gives the trained person the foundational skills for critical thinking.
After all the Meta-Model provides the distinctions and the questions by
which you can stay mindful while questioning the data that first comes to
you.

           Who specifically is providing this information?

           How did they specifically know what they are writing or saying?

           What are they not saying?  (Deletions)

           When, where, and with whom does this information arise? (Context
facts)

           How specifically does X cause or make Y?  (Causation statements)

           How do you know that X thinks, feels, or intends Y?
(Mind-reading statements)

           When you use this vague generalization (a nominalization) what
actions are you referring to? (Nominalization words and phrases)

           What are you assuming when you frame things in that way?
(Presuppositions)

In all of this, NLP's Meta-Model provides you a set of questions which, if
you use them, enables you to think critically, precisely, and accurately so
that you are not triggered to react.  Now you can think things through more
rationally and clearly, you can stay mindful and conscious and not get your
buttons pushed by overly emotional language.

Responding to "information" sounds simple and inevitable on the surface.
Yet when we think about it, to do so sanely and mindfully requires slowing
down reactivity and first getting all of the facts.  Getting all of the
facts also means asking lots of questions-challenging questions that seeks
to get behind and around and above the statements so you can understand them
in context.  Here then is a simple formula that will solve the problem of
mindless reactivity: 

           Take a breath and slow down any automatic reactivity.  Remind
yourself that "information" can be mis-information and/or dys-information.
First appearances can be deceiving.  Everything is not as it appears.
Appearance and reality are not necessarily the same.

           Question things.  Ask detail questions that explore the context
and the context-of-the-context of the information.  Question what is not
being presented.  "What are you not saying?"   Be a detective for flushing
out the fuller story.

           Chase out cognitive distortions and biases.  Use the NLP
Meta-Model to get more precision and accuracy.  Identify the linguistic
structures of vagueness, assumptions, etc. so that you can flush out when
hidden agendas may be driving the "information." 

           Check with others and other sources of information.  See if
there is a political agenda behind the data, and who is lining up on each
side of an issue.  Be suspicious if it is one-side.

           Apply the golden rule.  Would you want "information" about you
to be communicated in this way?  If not, then challenge the person or
persons or organizations that are pushing a certain agenda.

Here's to your best information processing!   

[For more, see Communication Magic and look for a training in the NLP
Meta-Model.] 

L. Michael Hall, Ph.D.

Executive Director, Neuro-Semantics

P.O. Box 8

Clifton CO. 81520 USA

www.neurosemantics.com   look for the special offer

Author of the stunning new history of NLP--- NLP Secrets.  

Investigative Journalism which has exposed what has been kept secrets for
decades. 

http://www.neurosemantics.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/NLP-Secrets-2_sml2.
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