Overcoming Fake Talk: How to Hold REAL Conversations that Create Respect, Build Relationships, and Get Results

CHAPTER 5

How Do You Get Out of Your Stinking Thinking?

The Perception Principle—Recognize and Suspend to Uncover

One of my most memorable trips on the river in Grand Canyon came at the expense of another person’s thinking. Before every trip, I always provided an orientation and a clear set of rules that I wanted everyone to follow to ensure their safety. I always warned them that the rules for normal living did not apply on their Grand Canyon adventure, and our situation included some new rules that I wanted them to obey. One such rule was, “Thou shalt not put any part of your body where you cannot see!” People always laughed, and then I clearly reiterated that the rule was not a laughing matter.

A few days into this particular trip, a passenger ...