The map is not the territory.
People respond according to their internal maps.
Meaning operates context-dependently.
The mind and-body affect each other.
Individual skills function by the development and sequencing of rep systems.
We respect each person’s model of the world.
Person and behavior describe different phenomena. We are more than our behavior.
Every behavior has utility and usefulness—in some context.
We evaluate behavior and change in terms of context and ecology.
We cannot not communicate.
The way we communicate affects perception and reception.
The meaning of communication lies in the response you get.
The person who sets the frame for the communication controls the outcome.
There is no failure, only feedback.
The person with the most flexibility exercises the most influence within the system.
Resistance indicates a lack of rapport.
People have the internal resources they need to succeed.
Humans have the ability to experience one-trial learning.
All communication should increase choice.
People make the best choices available to them when they act.
As response-able people, we can run our own brains and therefore choose our behavior.
In NLP, presuppositions are the underlying beliefs and assumptions that shape our perceptions and behaviors. These unspoken beliefs can be both empowering and limiting. In this chapter, we will look at the significance of presuppositions in NLP and how they can be used to improve personal and professional development. It is important to note that all primary NLP therapeutic techniques are based on these assumptions. These premises are significant in NLP because they provide a framework for understanding and working with human behavior and communication. They are not always scientifically proven, but they are assumed to be true because they are thought to be more useful than the opposite. In other words, even if these assumptions are not entirely correct, they are still thought to be useful for understanding and working with human behavior.
Although the NLP community does not view NLP as a theory in and of itself, it does make use of theoretical assumptions about the nature of social structure, human nature, and our potential. Unlike other methodologies, however, NLP does not devote time and energy to researching and arguing for its theories. Instead, NLP simply assumes a particular point of view and declares its presuppositions upfront, acknowledging that these ideas cannot be proven and are held for only as long as they are useful, subjectively speaking. Presuppositions serve as filters through which we perceive and interpret our surroundings. They shape our perception of reality and can either empower or limit us in achieving our objectives. For example, if we believe that failure is a necessary step toward success, we are more likely to persevere despite setbacks. If we believe that failure is a sign of incompetence, we may give up quickly and not even try to achieve our goals.
Alfred Korzybski held a similar viewpoint on epistemology, which studies the nature of knowledge, its assumptions and foundations, as well as its scope and validity. Korzybski contended that we only deal with reality indirectly, via our nervous system and sense receptors. As a result, we can never fully describe reality and must work linguistically and mentally with undefined terms and assumptions. Korzybski suggested that we declare our undefined terms up front for the sake of science and sanity.
This approach is followed by NLP, which declares its undefined terms and beliefs in the list of NLP Presuppositions. These assumptions stem from the theoretical underpinnings of the systems that NLP models, which include gestalt psychology, family systems therapy, Ericksonian hypnotic-medical communication, general semantics, cybernetics, information systems, transformational grammar, cognitive-behavioral psychology, and Batesonian anthropology. These assumptions are based on the idea that the mind and language are inextricably linked and that changing our language allows us to change our thoughts and behaviors. The table below summarizes some of the key assumptions in NLP and provides examples of how they can be applied in real-world situations:
The presupposition “the map is not the territory,” for example, implies that our perceptions and understandings of the world do not correspond to the world itself. This means that different people may interpret the same event or situation differently. For example, two people may witness a car accident, but one may focus on the damage to the cars and the other on the emotions of the people involved. These various perceptions can result in a variety of behaviors and responses. This presupposition is used in NLP to encourage people to become more aware of their own perceptions and to recognize that others may have different perspectives.