DEBATE
DILEMMA
Paradoxes are
useful in the NLP
world because
change can
come from them
each other’s use of language”. consciousness? Most people who know about PhD programmes in NLP. It requires a different
Both agree, though, that NLP still adheres NLP know it as a way to Change Your Life in 7 conversation, he suggests and “ANLP and The
to some theories that could be updated. With Days. Most of the 500+ books promote it as a Professional Guild are trying to encourage that
Wyatt Woodsmall it is the use of Bateson’s strategy for success.” kind of conversation.”
Logical Levels in a way that Bertrand Russell So what are we talking about when we NLP is not what it was, not will it be in the
(from whose work - Principia Mathematica - talk about NLP? What we are talking about, future what it is now. It isn’t static, nor should
with Alfred North Whitehead it comes) had suggests Paul Tosey, is “a Community of people it be and its future lies, it seems to me, in taking
long since repudiated. It was “the most arbitrary who have agreed to believe in something and the best of its heritage and original ideas and
thing he and Whitehead had ever had to do, that it works. It may be that if people believe combining those with the best of new research
not really a theory but a stopgap, and he was it will work, it will work.” He suggests though and technical development to continue to
glad to have lived long enough to see the matter that the assertion “it works” isn’t enough to work with the promotion and development of
resolved.”(see box for link). For Paul Tosey it is convince the uncertain, the sceptics or, indeed, human potential.
a desire to see some of the Cybernetic heritage the academic community. The NLP ‘belief Whether that will be called NLP is a question
updated to reflect more recent research, “the system’ has a heritage that is underexplored I am unable to answer. There are parallel
presuppositions seem to reflect first order and, with the co-founders going their separate fields developing that may overtake NLP as the
cybernetics, treating the client as a ‘machine’ to ways, a develoment path that has become, at leading field. Does that matter? I think it may
be programmed and the observer as detached the very least, confused. As Morris puts it “NLP matter less than we seem to think. Progress has
and objective whereas second order cybernetics has become like a horse with two riders, each always come from the association of ideas from
which treats the observer as part of the system, going in different directions. In fact, it’s like a diverse fields and the synthesis of those into
changing it and changed by it, might be more horse with hundreds or maybe even thousands theories and practical applications. That’s how
useful.” of riders, because each of the co-creators and NLP began in the 1970s and the best outcomes
Here is a paradox, NLP has moved on and some of the developers have anointed a series from the NLP ‘project’ will live on, albeit
yet, maybe, it hasn’t. Paradoxes are useful in of trainers, master trainers and apprentices to maybe under another nominalization. That’s
the NLP world because change can come from spread their word. And, inevitably, after a few how the world of ideas works.
them. Wyatt Woodsmall reflects on what has months or years, these people discover they have So am I talking sense or not? This debate
been lost, “NLP has been taught as a series of ideas of their own too, and they start adding should continue. Whether you agree or
techniques and it is dying a death of gradual their own spin on things. Gradually or suddenly, disagree, please make your point by taking
assimilation. People are taking it over and they they start spreading their own version of NLP.” part in the debate on the website. If I can talk
don’t know where it has come from. A lot of All of the contributors, in their way, agree to you for a future debate, please let me know
powerful models and principles are no longer with Paul Tosey’s characterisation of NLP as at via the ANLP.
taught. The power of NLP is in the generative a critical crossroads. Chris Morris seems to want
approach where you understand the principles the co founders to take a stronger lead, “I think
Sources
underlying why it works.” Chris Morris reflects someone needs to tell Bandler and Grinder that
Dr. Wyatt Woodsmall, INLPTA, interviewed in June 2009 and
on where it is going, “I think the debate has they’re killing their legacy.” Though he prefers
article on Logical Levels at
http://www.cnlpa.de/presse/
moved on. There’s a new generation of highly- that it isn’t him who tells them. But is that the
loglev.html
motivated people selling NLP as some kind only answer? Dr. Paul Tosey, University of Surrey, interviewed in August
of catch-all miracle cure. It’s often combined Paul Tosey favours the development of a
2009
with positive thinking, the law of attraction professional structure, underpinned by ethics
Chris Morris, NLP Connections – article at http://www.
chrismorris.com/blog/2009/07/can-nlp-be-what-it-has-
and affirmations. My question is whether NLP and “rethinking the level of Practitioner” and is
become/
can be what it has become in our collective encouraged by the number of people following
rapport - Autumn 2009
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