The Meta Model distortions are responsible for some major limitations and poor map creation. Anything we make up, or that we have no sensory evidence for is a distortion. Maybe you are thinking, “I don’t make things up, I am a very down to earth person”.
Future planning
Consider what happens when you invest in a retirement plan. You are thinking about a future that does not exist. You literally cannot see yourself retired unless you already are. You cannot see a picture of something that hasn’t happened yet.
Yet we can imagine future consequences and benefits.
Concepts
A concept or an idea is something humans make up. Have you ever tripped over a relationship? A relationship consists of a number of ongoing interactions and shared experiences over time (another concept). Can you put a job in a wheelbarrow?
We use labels for categories of concepts, but there is no sensory-based evidence for them. There are certainly examples of them, but we make up the label for the idea. It’s like a shorthand marker.
Nominalizations – Recipe for Misunderstanding
Nominalizations are processes (verbs) we turn into nouns. Doing this sends deceptive messages to our brains. For example, a “decision” is actually the process of deciding; a relationship is the process of relating to someone. By changing the process into a fixed static thing, we can feel it is unchanging and limit our choices for action.
Mind reading – Jumping to Conclusions
Mind reading is assuming you know what the other person is thinking or feeling without checking. This pattern causes a great deal of interpersonal difficulties and is another of the important Meta model problem solving strategies.
Cause effects – How our world works
When a person uses a cause effect statement, they are identifying how they believe something works. That X causes Y, or that doing X makes Y happen.
Lost Performatives – Not my Beliefs
Lost performatives are when someone is talking about a personal belief, but presents it as though it was a universal truth. We then accept it as true without questioning it as we would if we heard it as someone’s personal opinion.
Linguistic Presuppositions – Accepting What I Say
Linguistic presuppositions are the most powerful of the Meta model and Milton model language patterns. As a communicator, wouldn’t it be great if people accepted what you said without question sometimes?