Let’s start with what might be an obvious question:  what’s a presupposition?  Basically a presupposition is an assumption.  It’s what you’re assuming to be true at the beginning.

And from a philosophical point of view, this really is not a problem.  Maybe you’ve heard the old joke about an assumption making an…  well, you get the idea.  But in reality, you have to start your position, viewpoint or argument somewhere.  And in most cases, it will probably be an assumption.

You can also think of a presupposition as that which you are accepting to be true, without proving it to be true.

The only problem with assumptions is when folks are operating with assumptions that have not been thought through.  Or when people are not aware that their starting point is an assumption.  Now that would be a problem.  Ok, enough about this topic.  Let’s move on to the starting point of NLP…

The Presuppositions of NLP

There are 14 of them, and I’ll just list them here to get started.  In this post I’ll cover a couple of them in detail, and will single out a few others in the planned Part 2 article.  Here we go:

1. Respect for the other person’s model of the world.
2. Behavior and change are to be evaluated in terms of context, and ecology.
3. Resistance in a client is a sign of a lack of rapport.
4. People are NOT their behaviors.
5. Everyone is doing the best they can with the resources they have available.
6. Calibrate on behavior: the most important information about a person is that person’s behavior (i.e. “actions speak louder than words.”)
7. The map is not the territory (this will need a bit more unpacking).
8. You are in charge of your mind, and therefore your results.
9. People have all the resources they need to succeed and to achieve their desired outcomes.
10. All procedures should increase Wholeness.
11. There is only feedback.
12. The meaning of communication is the response you get.
13. The law of requisite variety.
14. All procedures should be designed to increase choice.

A quick note on resources.

People often have more resources at their disposal then they realize (see #9 above), without recognizing this or being aware of this.  Now, they may not agree with you.  Or believe that they do have all the resources they need.

Basically, the “limited” resources are limited only in terms of awareness, not actuality.

For me, the most significant point mentioned above is #8, that you are in charge of your mind, and therefore your results.  This is significant, because it completely undermines the “victim” mindset.

My buddy Mark, for example, has shared with me in the past how every now and then someone wants to work with him to have him “fix their problems.”  And he would rightfully point out that they are really in charge of their own change.  He was, if you will, a facilitator.

Ouch!

For some folks, the point of “owning your own change” is the one obstacle that is tough to overcome.  It’s not just a question of responsibility; i.e. you are responsible for yourself.  Or being “able to respond.”  It’s also a point of profound freedom.

When I finally sat down and worked with Mark to clear my own issues, this point actually made me feel much better, because if I was in charge of my own change, then I could actually bring about the change I wanted.  I was in charge.  I had control of the desired outcome.

Let me tell you, that’s liberating.  And that, my friends, is real freedom.