A belief system which is either ‘internal’ or ‘external’.

-- An internal locus embraces self-reliance and independence. The self-made-man and cowboy-it-up are metaphors to live by. The shadow element of an internal locus is self-blame when not at fault and a lack of empathy towards others.

-- An external locus embraces community and synergy. Partnering and shared sacrifice are metaphors to live by. The shadow element of an external locus is blaming others for personal failures and living off the fruits of others.

-- imo: It is fascinating how these two dualistic ways of being are playing out in both small and grand scales. They show up in our personal lives (with co-workers) and in society (with political parties). Rather than embrace the light of both, there is a tendency to point to the shadow of the other and use it as justification for the superiority of the one. What is true is that it is an AND not an OR world. To a certain measure, we are individually responsible for our fate AND we are also family to a larger community.

According to science, we have five known senses: hearing, seeing, feeling, smelling and tasting. As small children, we learn to favor one sense over another and this way of being eventually becomes our dominant sense, the one we trust most often. In humans, only the first three are normally dominant. Their NLP labels are: auditory, visual and kinesthetic. If we are dominant in one area, it does not mean the others do not exist or are not nearly as equal; just that the other senses often play a lesser role. Unfortunately, we live in a predominantly auditory world which makes it challenging for visual and kinesthetic types; especially if the dominant sense is significantly more pronounced than the others.

-- A dominant auditory person gives more conscious attention to what they "hear" and thinks in words. They are very mindful of sound, the words spoken and the tone used. They are often very articulate and well spoken. They have trouble if more than one audio stream is present because they feel like both are demanding their full attention. They are sometimes lost in thought and often do not listen enough. If placed in front of a white board, they will tend to write words. If given a bookcase instruction manual, they will often read all the instructions before starting. Balance requires getting into the body with good physical exercise. Visualization may even be an extreme challenge if the second order sense is kinesthetic. Meditation is challenging though a good practice and can be enhanced with music.

-- A dominant visual person gives more conscious attention to what they “see” and thinks in pictures. They can easily visualize constructs and often have picture-perfect memory because of their heightened ability to store and recall images. They remember landmarks rather than street names. They often have difficulty in messy settings and may have exaggerated perceptions about how they or things look. If placed in front of a white board they will tend to draw pictures. If given a bookcase instruction manual, they will look at the images and get started. Balance requires getting in the body as well because most visual activity occurs in the head. Meditation is often not challenging and they may have a preference for guided imagery.

-- A dominant kinesthetic person gives more conscious attention to what they “feel”. They are very connected to their bodies and can easily model the physical movements of others . They have high kinesthetic intelligence and are attracted to physical activities like sports and dance. They tend to have difficulty in dominant auditory institutions, likes schools and corporations, and can be labeled as misfits (ADHD). If placed in front of a white board they may simply play with the marker. If given a bookcase instruction manual, they will often not even look at the manual and put it together based upon what feels right. Balance requires mental and visual activities though they may have low self-esteem around these areas.

-- imo: We too often project our dominant way of being onto others and judge them unfairly as not measuring up. We forget that people really DO think differently. Instead of embracing how fascinating and wonderful our diversity is, we use our differences as a hammer to beat each other up. It is truly amazing to me how many marriages have shifted simply by understanding NLP predicates.

Second order learning is a type of meta-awareness, another level of self-awareness.

-- In first order learning behavior is modified through classical conditioning; actions leads to results which leads to new action. There is an awareness that if one changes their actions then new results can occur. A place of choice exists. Stuck is when the action is repeated over and over while expecting new results.

-- In second order learning behavior is observed in a new way. Basic human conditioning is to analyze the present, by comparing it to the past, in order to act in the future. Second order awareness challenges this automatic pattern of comparing everything to the past. The individual becomes aware of how they are ‘interpreting’ a given situation. When they become an observer to their own way of being, new choices can become available to the individual.

-- imo: Second order learning is at the heart of the coaching experience. Consultants give clients a fish (first order learning) and coaches show clients how to fish (second order learning).

Maslow identified a process for satisfying basic human needs. In the beginning, individuals work to satisfy ‘physiological’ needs like water, food and shelter. Next comes ‘safety’ needs like physical well being, employment, and property ownership. Next comes ‘belonging’ needs which includes family, friendship and love. Next comes ‘esteem’ needs which focus on achievement in the world and respect by others. Lastly comes ‘actualization’ needs. Actualization is existentialist fulfillment and generally occurs within a context. The area of choice for actualization depends entirely upon the individual. One may seek financial actualization or spiritual actualization or social actualization, etc. When someone attains actualization in one area they often seek out actualization in another(s) too. When actualization is denied or success is achieved young, a prolonged dark-night of the soul can occur.

-- imo: Each generation in the modern era seems to achieve actualization younger and younger. Living in the Silicon Valley, I have seen young adults achieve great financial success, or financial actualization, and suddenly find life is without meaning. For some rising starts, it is too much and a great dark-night ensues; others focus their attention, in a healthy way, towards actualization in other areas. Unfortunately for those in the entertainment field, their pain is too often on the public stage.

A tendency towards labeling things as being in two opposing states. Something is good or evil, positive or negative, acceptable or unacceptable. People are with us or against us. There is no room for complexity or gray space. There is no middle ground, just two extremes.

-- imo: Black-White thinking can limit us and the options before us. One need only look around to notice how the darkness of this mindset is playing itself out on the world stage.  We have outgrown this type of thinking and the post-modern age demands we move past it.  We must transcend the shadow of dualistic thinking or we may just ...implode.  Only by giving full voice, to that which was once whispered, can we see the gaps in our thinking and shift ourselves to a new way of being. Breakdowns often proceed breakthroughs.