NLP presuppositions

The Presuppositions of NLP

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NLP Presuppositions form the basic beliefs and attitudes that effective NLP Practitioners work and live by. The
14 presuppositions below are the central principles of NLP. They form a set of ethical principles for life.
(For a description of NLP Neuro-Linguistic Programming, see here)
(To watch a video of Jevon teaching the NLP Basic Presuppositions, see here)
1. The map is not the territory.
People represent the world internally to create their own personal and subjective realities. We respond mainly to our
internal experience (map of reality), not to the external reality itself.
How we represent things in our mind are our interpretations. Interpretations may or may not be accurate. In any case,
these interpretations determine how we experience each moment, and therefore lay the foundation for our experience of
reality in the future too.
Having choices about how to interpret your reality now, changes your experience of it. And having more choices
available to you begins by choosing to interpret each experience in a way that frees your thinking to explore different
points of view. So, how else can you look at your situation, and how else, and how else? In this way your map of
reality expands.
2. We respect each persons model of the world.
We could sum it as we respect each other. Just because someone else has a different point of view (map of reality), it
doesnt mean that they are wrong and your are right.
3. Aim to increase choice.
By aiming to increase choice, youre choosing expand your map of reality. Expand your map to one that gives you the
widest and richest number of choices. The more choices you have, the freer you are and the more influence you have
over yourself and others.
Greater choice comes from being able to change your perceptual position. The 3 main perceptual positions in NLP are:
1.

Associated to self. In your body, looking at the situation from your point of view.

2.

Associated to other. Taking the other persons frame of reference.

3.

Associated to the observer or witness. Taking the the meta or objective perspective. Being the fly on the
wall.
Familiarising yourself with being in all 3 perceptual positions and becoming comfortable doing so in all contexts
broadens your scope of choice.
With practice one can assume multiple perceptual positions simultaneously. With that comes the freedom to more
consciously choose your thoughts, feelings and actions in all types of situations.
4. People make the best choice they can at the time.

A person always makes the best choice they can, given their map of reality at the time. The choice may be selfdefeating, bizarre or evil, but for them, it seems the best way forward. Give them a better choice in their map of reality
and they will take it. Even better help them upgrade their map to one with more choices in it.
Another way of putting this is: We all act according to the level of awareness thats available to us in that moment. The
reason why people regret certain past actions is because they have greater awareness now, and because of this
phenomena, they eventually overcome their current regret too.
Based on the premise of this presupposition, whoever caused us pain in the past, did so based on their level of
awareness at that time. They were trying to fulfil a certain value in their old map of reality and never knew how else to go
about it back then. Looking back on that past hurt from a broader and resourceful perspective in the present can enable
healing and release of stuck emotions.
Therefore, the broader our perspectives now, the more choices we have in the past, present and future
5. People work perfectly.
No one is wrong or broken. People function perfectly even if what they are doing is ruining their life. All behaviour has a
structure. When you understand the structure, you can change the behaviour into something more desirable.
People carry out their behavioural strategies perfectly, but the strategies may be poorly designed and ineffective. Finding
out how you or others do what you or they do, enables you or them to change the ineffective strategy to one that is more
suited to achieving useful and desirable results.
6. All actions have a purpose.
Our actions are not random; we are always trying to achieve something, although we may not be aware of what that is.
Behind each behaviour there is a positive intention. This may be the anticipation of pleasure or avoidance of pain.
People want to achieve something that they value and which benefits them.
NLP separates the intention or purpose behind an action from the action itself. A person is not their behaviour. When a
person has a better choice of behaviour that also achieves their positive intention, they will take it.
When the behaviour is undesired, find alternate ways to achieve the behaviours positive intent. Seek to add choices and
resources. When you take away choices, other compensating behaviours can occur.
Internal conflicts, indecision, procrastination and lack of motivation are often the result of conflicting values in our
unconscious awareness. Establishing the highest intention or purpose of each conflicting value enables integration and
inner alignment which results in greater choice and freedom.
To change unwanted behaviours, start by eliciting the highest positive intention which drives that behaviour, then seek to
satisfy that intention through more appropriate means.
In order to be more understanding and compassionate towards others, seek to establish what their highest positive
intentions are.

We act according you our current level of awareness. By bringing the underlying purpose of particular actions into
awareness, we create more possibilities for ourselves and our clients.
7. The meaning of your communication is not simply what you intend, but also the response you get.
Resistance in others indicates a lack of rapport, or that the other person doesnt get your meaning. We all resist when
we dont understand. Your intended communication is not always what is perceived.
You cannot not communicate. We are always communicating either verbally or non-verbally. Even the absence of a
response is information. Each person deletes, distorts and generalizes pure sensory information (input through the
senses). Our nervous system is conditioned to filter information in this way. These filters are triggered by both verbal and
non-verbal behaviours in others.
Which is more important: What you intend to communicate, or what you actually communicate? Flexible communicators
change what theyre saying (and how theyre saying it, as well as their body language) until their desired results are
obtained.
8. We already have all the resources we need, or we can create them.
You already have it in you. Everything a person needs to effect a positive change is already in them. They may, however,
not be consciously aware of it. Often people have resources that they havent considered or are available in other
contexts. Resources mean the internal responses and external behaviours needed to get desired results. Our most basic
resource is our ability to learn.
There are no unresourceful people, only unresourceful states of mind. As response-able people, we can run our own
mind and therefore move toward getting the results that we want. The key to achieving this is through knowing how to
change your state, as specific resources are accessed only through being in the appropriate state. States are the keys
that either open or lock the door to the infinite reservoir of resources inside you.
Appropriate states are those that match the kind of resources that you would like to gain access to. For example, to be in
a confident state shift your body posture, breath and internal dialogue to that which matches confidence. You will
immediately begin to feel more confident.
In the above way you can, through changing you body posture, breath and internal dialogue, assume any state. Through
assuming appropriate states, your thinking becomes clear, new creative choices arise into awareness, and empowered
actions are the result.
Conversely, weve all had the experience of being in a miserable state, and you know how resourceful you felt then!
The hypnotic state is highly versatile state, since its often referred to as the master key to your inner resources.
Hypnosis enables people to have direct contact with the level of their awareness thats usually
unconscious. Hypnotherapy leverages the hypnotic state for the purpose of healing.
So, which ever way you choose to go about it, states are the way in which you tap your inner wisdom and productive
levels of thought to deal effectively with any situation.
9. Mind and Body are connected, and form a system.

Its clear how the mind-and-body affect each other: Prolonged stress or heavy emotional spells often result in physical
sickness. Likewise, positive attitudes, joy and laughter are not only healing for the body, but also help prevent sickness.
NLP eye patterns reveal our internal sensory processing. Some of the other physiological cues that indicate our mental
processes are posture, speech and breathing rate. Since physiological cues reflect the functioning of your mind, by
changing particular physiological cues you can affect the functioning of your mind. For example, slumping in your chair
can make you feel tired, or taking a walk can uplift your thoughts.
Mind and body interact and mutually influence each other. It is not possible to make a change in one without the other
being affected. When we think differently, our bodies change. When we act differently we change our thoughts and
feelings.
Treating only mental/emotional or physical symptoms without taking responsibility for the underlying reasons why such
symptoms have manifested, may disrupt the mind/body system. Ignoring the subtle causes of unwanted symptoms can
result in more complex complications later. For example, regularly taking sleeping tablets to get enough sleep at night,
without addressing the mental/emotional causes (like stress or dissatisfaction) of not being able to sleep, may lead to
burn out and/or disease.
Consciousness expresses itself through the system of your mind and body. Mind and body are therefore intimately
linked, and ultimately, theyre two aspects of the same source. Any healing program must aim to optimize the flow and
balance of consciousness in both the mind and body in order for healing to be effective and complete.
10. There is no such thing as failure, there is only feedback.
Legend has it that prior to Thomas Edison inventing the light bulb, he was interrogated by a probing journalist who
demanded to know why Edison had failed something like 200 times to invent the light bulb that Edison claimed was an
imminent reality. Edisons reply went along the lines that he hadnt failed to invent the light bulb 200 times, instead, hed
discovered 200 ways not to invent it.
With that kind of attitude, Edison was quite likely able to maintain a resourceful state and be positively motivated to
persevere until his goal was reached.
The attitude that we bring to a situation determines our response to that situation.
Every result gives you feedback, maybe information about how to do something differently next time. Feedback is helpful
and sets direction. This kind of attitude toward failure produces results that allow you to improve. Results are the
means by which you measure your progress and adjust your behaviour in order to achieve your desired outcomes.
Every experience offers a positive learning, one from which we can grow intellectually or in terms of emotional
intelligence. Living is learning, even if you loose, you dont loose the learning.
11. The person or element with the most flexibility in a group or system will have the most influence.
This is the Law of requisite variety from systems theory. It means the person with the most options and behavioural
choices will control the system. In any field, the top people in that field are those who have the most variety in their
behaviour. They have choices of behaviour that their colleagues dont. Any time you limit your behavioural choices you

give others the competitive edge. If youre able to respond to any situation in a variety of ways, you are more likely to get
your outcome.
12. Modeling successful performance leads to excellence.
No matter how you define success, many successful people have got to where they are through modelling the
successful performance of others.
Modeling is not copying. Copying how someone became successful in the 80s is unlikely going to make you successful
today. Modelling in NLP is the process of identifying and replicating both the conscious and unsconscious competence in
another, which results in that persons excellence.
Unconscious competence (what we do effortlessly, without conscious awareness) can be identified through careful
observation, questioning and strategy elicitation. Once you know the thoughts, beliefs, values and behaviours that result
in excellence, you can test the model and refine it to fit with you. Once youre able to replicate the same degree of
success in a specific context, youve got that model.
If its possible for someone else, its possible for you, and teachable to others (provided they dont have severe
physiological or neurological damage). In this way most people can learn to get better results in their own way, you do
not become a clone of the model you learn from them.
Find a model of excellence in a field that youre interested in. Identify the sequence of components (thoughts, beliefs,
values and behaviours) that are necessary to achieve the desired result. Apply that model in a way that enables you to
get the same kinds of results, and success is yours.
13. All processes should lead to integration and wholeness.
Many of our personal issues and challenges in life are the result of parts of our unconscious mind becoming dissociated
from the flow of neural information thats available to our whole Self. This essentially leads to the formation of subpersonalities in our unconscious awareness, each one essentially with its own values system. All unwanted behaviours
that we have little or no conscious control over are driven by parts. Conflicting parts are also the cause of indecision and
procrastination. Integrating parts is therefore an important part of most coaching and therapy sessions.
In NLP, a variety of methods have been developed to integrate parts, including finding new solutions for a parts using the
Six Step Reframing technique, and creating oneness between two or more parts using the Parts Integration or Visual
Squash technique.
14. If you want to understand Act
Real learning is in the doing. Through application you will soon discover what works and what doesnt work. Keep doing
(and refining) the things that get you the results that you want. Remember, there is no failure, only feedback.
(To watch a video of Jevon teaching the NLP Basic Presuppositions, see here)
If you would like to learn how to live these NLP Presuppositions and apply them as a congruent NLP Practitioner, see
here for our course details.

Druh zdroj

The Map is not the Territory.

The way we represent the world refers to reality, it isnt reality itself. We dont respond to
reality. We respond to our internalized map of reality. How we represent things are out
interpretations. Interpretations may or may not be accurate.

People work perfectly

No one is broken. People function perfectly even if what they are doing is ruining their life. All
behavior has a structure. When you understand the structure, you can change the outcome
into something more desirable.

People make the best choice available at any given time.

The idea is to add choices and resources. When you take away choices, other compensating
behaviors can occur.

People have all the resources they need.

This assumption opens up possibilities. Resources mean the internal responses and external
behaviors needed to get a desired response. Often people have resources that they havent
considered or are available in other contexts. Maybe you know someone who shows good
leadership skills at work but cant manage his or her children.

The meaning of communication is the response you get.

This is one of the most important presuppositions in NLP. We think that if someone
misunderstands us there is something wrong with him or her.
Both verbal and non-verbal behaviors trigger responses in others. The point of communication
is to get an outcome. An effective communicator is not someone with good command of
language and delivery. She is someone who gets her desired response.

You cannot not communicate.

We are always communicating either verbally or non-verbally. Even the absence of a response
is information. For instance, when someone stops talking suddenly or becomes quiet.

Every behavior has a positive intent in some context.

A behavior is always valuable somewhere at some time. Anger is useful when someone is
under attack. Anger out of context may be an attempt to get people to understand. It may
not however be useful or gain the desired result.

There is no such thing as failure only feedback.

Every result gives you information.

Mind and body are connected.

Each affects the other. Our eye patterns reveal our internal sensory processing. Other
behavioral cues are speech, tempo and breathing rate. Just as behavioral cues in the body
reflect the functioning of our mind, so accessing a particular behavioral cue can affect
functioning of our mind. For example slumping in your chair can make you feel tired.

Possible in the world, possible for me.

Individual skills are a function of the development and sequencing of representational
systems. Any skill talent or ability that an individual has can be broken down into its
components and taught to anyone who does not have severe physiological or neurological
damage.
Representational Systems that are not fully developed can cause some learning difficulties.
This presupposition is the basis of NLP Modeling.

The person or element with the most flexibility in a system will have
the most influence.
This is the Law of requisite variety from systems theory. This means the person with the most
options and behavioral choices will control the system. In any field, the top people in that field
are those who have the most variety in their behavior. They have choices of behavior that
their colleagues dont.
Any time you limit your behavioral choices you give others the competitive edge. If you are
able to respond to any situation in a variety of ways, you are more likely to get your outcome.

Mind and body are one system

NLP Presuppositions
Mind and body are parts of the same system. It has been proven that whatever happens to one affects the other. This
means that what we think affects the way we feel and how we feel affects how we think. If the body is tense, the mind
will be tense. It is not possible to change one without affecting the other.
It was not so long ago that scientific evidence emerged to indicate a close link between mind and body. The mind and
body are no longer seen as separate entities. Mental stress or exhaustion can adversely affect the immune system and
lower bodily resistance. Prior to this discovery, only the physical symptoms of illness were treated. Nowadays, it would
be more appropriate to adopt a holistic approach to medical treatment. This is important considering that an illness could
be psychological rather than physical.

Thoughts have significant effects on the physiology of the body. Our thoughts affect our breathing pattern, muscle
tension, posture, facial expression and feelings, in other words our physical well-being, some of which are readily
recognized. Think of something hilariously funny and you begin to laugh and maybe cant stop your own self laughing.
Recalling a loved one whose death is a sad loss to you probably fills your eyes with sudden tears. Each time something
causes you to remember or think of a very fearful experience, you may start to feel your heart pounding and for some,
even sweat. These are examples of the powerful influence your mind has over your body.
Our physiology has a tremendous influence on our mental state and behaviour. When you feel tired and unwell, it keeps
your mind from thinking at its best and tapping your real potential. When you move around with an upright posture and a
confident gait, you develop confident and optimistic thinking.
However, we can change our physiology or feelings with the way we think. If we think of a happy time, we appear and
act happy. If we think of something frightening our heartbeat races and our body language manifests the fear.
Conversely, when we act differently we change our thoughts and feelings. If we act bravely our mental state changes
and we will feel brave. Either way, our mind and body act in unison.
Whenever we are afflicted with negative physical or mental states we could overcome them by changing our thinking,
physiology or emotions. We could do some activities such as meditation, yoga, jogging, gardening, a brisk walk or any
other things that we enjoy doing. Where these are not possible, adopting a physiology that displays a positive state could
well prove very helpful. This includes an upright posture, a slow rhythmic breathing pattern, sincere smile, friendly facial
expression and relaxed muscles.
We could also choose to influence someone elses physiology in a subtle manner. People who are in an unhappy state
unmistakably exhibit certain discernible characteristics. For instance, a slouching posture is a sure sign. We do it by
establishing rapport with the other person and then change our actions slightly in a gradual manner to attain an improved
state. If we have gained rapport with him, he will instinctively follow.
If we wish to perfect our body, we have to first perfect our mind. Master our thoughts and we will master our mind;
master our mind and we will master our body. Understanding that mind and body affect each other will enable us to
change our attitude and our mental state. The way we think affects our internal state. We are what we think we are.

Human behaviour is purposeful

NLP Presuppositions
Whether or not we behave and act with or without conscious decisions, there is a strong purpose or reason behind each
behaviour and action. Most of the times, we are not conscious of our behaviour or actions. For example, we drink or eat
when we are thirsty or hungry. Thirst and hunger are therefore the purpose for our behaviour of drinking and eating. We
do things consciously too when we are motivated by a purpose.
In NLP behaviour includes thoughts as well as actions, and most of our behaviour is governed by our unconscious mind.
How often have we all done something without awareness of the consequences of our actions? We are more concerned
about the intentions or goals behind them. Our behaviour is always to get something favourable or advantageous to us
regardless of whether it is morally or immorally acquired. Some peoples behaviour may seem undesirable or
unwelcome to us. But we tend to be more tolerant if we do not fail or refuse to realize that they have a purpose for their
behaviour or that they have to do what they have done.
It is not implied here that all behaviour must only be morally permissible. Some human behaviour can be totally
unacceptable, especially a terrible act of cruelty. But even the person committing a barbaric act has a positive purpose
for doing it from his or her point of view though members of society stand to differ. For example, she murdered him for
his money or a needy persons goal is to obtain money by criminal means. They have a purpose for such an action and
that is all that matters to them. We find their acts unjustifiable but here, we are not concerned with the morality of the act,
just the purpose for it. In other words, everything everybody does has a reason behind it.

Being fully aware that all behaviour has a strong purpose does help us in living our life. We can develop the ability to
understand and share the feelings of others who have chosen to behave in a particular way. Or we can be extremely
careful to avoid potential problems or dangers from those whom we know or suspect harbour aggressive or violent
intentions. Even the ultimate self-destruction of suicide has a positive intention. Once we get to understand the reasons
for the suicidal act such as seeking a permanent remedy for all the insurmountable problems or to forever escape the
agonies that are being endured, we may not find them senseless or selfish.
The desire to realize an outcome is the cause of our acting in a purposeful way in every situation. So its a fact that
human behaviour is purposeful.

Having choice is better than not having choice

NLP Presuppositions
Having choices means being able to choose how you live your life. Choose a map for yourself that will provide the
greatest number of choices. Always try to increase the choices to ensure greater flexibility of thought and behaviour to
act appropriately in any given situation. A person with more choices will have more influence and is more likely to
achieve what he aims for. This NLP presupposition phrases it thus: one option amounts to no option; two options may
present a dilemma; three or more options give you a lot of control to achieve your goals.
NLP is concerned with widening choices. We could do precisely that by using our imagination. Our mind conjures up
ideas at any time wherever we are in a never-ending stream. If we could just think creatively or in an unconventional
way, ingenious ideas would arise. More ideas result in more choices.
More choices enable us to deal more effectively with our emotional and mental states. Our constant reactions to external
events give rise to manifold feelings particularly negative ones which include anger, disappointment and envy. Given the
choices we have, we could alter our states however we prefer. This, in turn, can influence our decision and the
behaviour of other people. Limited choices lead to limited ways we can employ to change the state we are in.
Alternatives come with having choices. However, if you go into a boutique with only one aim to buy a handbag of one
decided colour and size, and of a particular brand, you are restricting your mind to just one choice. The implication here
is you may end up empty-handed. The outcome would be different if you have several choices. Likewise, you restrict
yourself access to new ideas and ideals, suggestions and opportunities when you rigidly adhere to a particular ideology,
faith or belief and are opposed to all other and new ideas. You are likely to deny yourself a better alternative or at least a
better understanding of the alternative.
Having choices can determine how successful we are in our interaction with other people whether in a workplace or in a
relationship. More choices give rise to more flexibility, outcomes and responses so it is certainly true that having a choice
is better than not having a choice.

Every behaviour has a positive intention

NLP Presuppositions
Everything we do invariably has a positive intention. Our action is always towards obtaining a favourable outcome
whether or not we are aware of it. A behaviour may appear negative to us but may not be so once we understand the
intention behind it. NLP makes a distinction between the purpose or intention behind the action and the action itself.
We all have a reason for whatever we do. We are always aiming to achieve something. We might think of someone
elses action as annoying. But the person performing it has a positive intention. He has a purpose which could be to feel
relaxed whenever he smokes or to boost his courage whenever he gets drunk. A moments reflection on our part will
enable us to comprehend his behaviour better.

By recognizing his positive intention, we can suggest alternative behaviours that are less harmful and which could make
him feel just as relaxed or boost his courage just as much. Accepting that every behaviour has a positive intention, we
are less likely to react adversely to other peoples actions and disapprovingly of how they think. In NLP, behaviour
includes thoughts as well as actions. With such understanding of their intention, we can become more tolerant in our
everyday interactions with other people despite the fact that everyone has a different mental perception of reality.
We may condemn other people whose actions are immoral or criminal. But from their perspectives, they have a positive
intention in what they do. We simply do not understand the intention behind their actions. All we need to know is there is
an intention behind every action. Bearing this in mind, we can still understand the intention behind these behaviours and
offer alternative behaviours. This NLP presupposition is not meant to condone sinful acts or heinous crimes committed
by evil people.
Whether an action is good or bad, a person's behaviour has a positive intention. We must neither condone nor condemn
the bad actions. Resolve by substituting the bad behaviours with positive ones which achieve the same positive
intention. When a person is given a better choice of behaviour with positive intention, they will accept it.

Effective communication lies in its response

NLP Presuppositions
Effective communication is more than just conveying wholly what you want. It is the response that matters. The meaning
of your communication may not be accurately interpreted and the response may be different from what you intend it to
be. People respond according to what they think you mean. To elicit the right response, the responsibility lies with you to
communicate in a manner that enables the other person to understand exactly what you mean.
You need to be constantly focused on the other persons responses to what you are saying. Instead of assuming that he
will grasp all that you say, change your communication accordingly until the desired outcome is obtained. How you say it
is more important than what you say. You need to talk to them rather than at them. There are no such things as failures
in communication, only responses and feedback; so if the response differs from what you want, adjust the way you are
communicating.
The traditional belief was that two persons engaged in communication are equally responsible for its success, which is a
50-50 share. One partner who thinks he has done his best may blame the other for the failure of the mutually beneficial
communication. Thus, the communication terminates there. No favourable outcome is achieved. If you are a salesman,
the termination is your loss as you end up not making any sale. Take responsibility for the success of the communication
and understand that the fault lies with you even if you honestly feel you have communicated to the utmost best of your
ability. Change your way of communicating whenever you have to.
Words made up only about seven percent of communication. The rest of ninety-three percent is non-verbal signs in tone
(38 percent) and body language (55 percent). Misunderstanding can easily arise whenever spoken words and nonverbal signs do not match. If you volunteer to help a friend and no matter how much you express verbally your
willingness and sincerity to help, he still declines your offer. What would your reactions be? Getting angry with him and
thinking him foolish or feeling disappointed will not alter the outcome. Try to understand why he declines and most
probably, you find your verbal and non-verbal communications do not match. Or your voice does not sound sincere or
your body language does not display the required enthusiasm to help.
Children who disobey their parents are not necessarily disobedient. There is likely to be some failure by the parents to
communicate adequately with their children. Employees who have done something quite different from their employers
wishes may have misunderstood the orders; teachers who blame their students who have not understood fully for being
stupid and inattentive may have themselves to blame for not conveying clear instructions; you give feedback to a friend
with good intention of helping him but he feels offended may well be a result of how you give the feedback.
A lot of your time and effort can be wasted if your communication fails to obtain the desired response or outcome. If your
personal success or job depends largely on your ability to communicate well, interacting with people, managing them or

depending on them, you need this communication skill. In a multi-racial environment, skill in communication is an
essential prerequisite to avoid misunderstanding. As an effective communicator, you can have far more control over your
relationships and outcomes. Always aim to shift the responsibility for effective communication to yourself.

A person is not his or her behaviour

NLP Presuppositions
Throughout your life, you make mistakes. So whats wrong with that? Nothing really if you bear in mind that you can
make corrections to your mistakes. Remember, you are not your mistakes. You are you and your mistake is your
mistake. They are two totally different things, so restrain yourself from identifying yourself with your mistakes. Likewise,
you have to detach yourself from your faults in order to get rid of them.
When you associate yourself closely with your mistakes, faults, sins or errors you become stuck with them, each and
every one of them. It is neither advantageous nor helpful to do that, and it is not likely to make you successful in life.
When your mistakes and your own self are treated separately, it is a great deal easier to rectify your mistakes. Identifying
your faults or occasional misbehaviours with your own self involves changing yourself to change your mistakes or faults
and it is never easy to bring about such a change.
You must recognize that your faults are not characteristic of you. By doing that you are telling yourself that they don't
exist permanently in you so that eliminating them is a possibility. For example, when you have not succeeded in
accomplishing a task, you are likely to feel it's your fault and blame yourself for it. Its either you look upon it as I failed
or I am a failure. Which is preferable to your self-esteem? An action deemed to have failed may not dent your
confidence much and chances are you will make another attempt to succeed at it. But involving your identity (I am a
failure) is pretty likely to erode whatever confidence you have left. This will probably cause you to quit making further
attempt at it.
On the other hand, if you regard your faults as typical of you, you are likely to cook up excuses for yourself whenever
you are at fault. For example, you habitually insult your friends, family members and employees and get away with it by
claiming you cannot help it because thats the way you are, you are most probably not going to change your habit. You
have associated your behaviour with your identity. If you will only recognize this behaviour as not part of or separate
from yourself, you will find getting rid of the habit a lot easier. Each time, you rid yourself of a bad habit, it aids in
boosting your self-image which is the way you see yourself.
Whether you realize it or not, you often tend to judge others by their behaviour. Say, you encounter in the marketplace
an elderly man yelling angrily at someone. Your instant perception is that he is an ill-tempered crazy old coot. Is your
perception justifiable? Perhaps not, you are identifying his personality with his behaviour which may not be realistic. It
could very well be that he is driven by circumstances to act in that manner. It could also be that he is not at all illtempered and this could be the very first time that he loses control of his temper in public. Separate the man from his
behaviour and you may only detest his behaviour but not him. Similarly, if society adopts Love the prisoners, not their
actions it will facilitate ready acceptance of ex-prisoners and help change their characters or behaviour.
When behaviour and identity are viewed as separate, you can change your behaviour and you tend to be more tolerant
of other peoples behaviour however strange it may be. By believing that what you do and what you have is the real you,
you have committed the gravest error in your life.

1. Behind every behavior there is a positive intention.

The person doing a behavior has a positive intention at a deep structure level. When we
are changing unwanted behaviors or habits, and moving toward healing, it is necessary
to find the deep structure or original intention behind the behavior. We then create new
and better choices that preserve the positive intention.

2. The map is not the territory.

People respond to their map or interpretation of reality, not to reality itself. NLP is about
understanding and changing maps, which in turn can change perceptions of reality.
3. Anything can be accomplished when the task is broken down into small
enough chunks.
The goal is "chunked" into pieces that are a manageable size for the individual or system.
4. There is no such thing as failure, only feedback.
Everything is an learning opportunity to find out what works and what doesn't work. It is
important to separate behavior from identity.
5. People already have all the resources they need.
NLP teaches how to access these resources at appropriate times and places.
6. Every behavior is useful in some context.
7. If one person can do something, other people can learn from that person's
success.
NLP models excellence. It is possible to discover the components and strategies needed
to achieve a particular result and to teach it to anyone else.
8. The messenger never rests until the message is delivered.
When there is a symptom or communication, it is important to pay attention.
9. The meaning of your communication is the response you get.
Communication creates an experience in the listener or reader. The result is the
response we elicit. That response may not necessarily match what we intended to
communicate.
10. Communication is redundant.
We are always sending messages in all three major sensory modalities. NLP checks for
congruence in these messages.
11. Choice is better than no choice.
The element in a system with the most flexibility has the most control.
12. People always make the best choice available to them at the time.
Often there are better choices. NLP discovers more effective choices and how to create
more useful or desirable actions and beliefs.
13. If what you are doing isn't working, do anything else.
A definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, expecting different
results.

NLP pro bobky

Kazdy cil je dosazitelny, pokud si ho rozdelim na zvladnutelne

kousky

- produktivita, dalsi kroky

Kazde chovani je v nejakem kontextu uzitecne.
- celistvost
Neexistuje neuspech, jen zpetna vazba
Pokud nefunguje to, co delam, zkusim neco jineho.
- kazdodennost
Lide vzdy voli tu nejlepsi moznost, jaka je jim dostupna
- vztahy ci neco podobneho
Pokud nejaky clovek neco dokaze, druzi se z jeho uspechu mohou
ucit
Vyznamem komunikace je odpoved na ni; komunikator
komunikuje, dokud zprava neni dorucena - dulezite davat pozor.