Chapter 3

Getting to the Heart of the Matter: The Meta Model

In This Chapter

arrow Finding out about the NLP Meta Model

arrow Using stories, fables and metaphors

arrow Introducing powerful metaphors

arrow Constructing your own stories

Have you ever invited someone, even yourself, to: ‘Say what you mean and mean what you say?’ If only speech was that easy.

You use words all the time as important tools to convey your thoughts and ideas – to explain and share your experiences with others. In Chapter 2, we explain that in any face-to-face communication, people take just part of the meaning from the words that come out of your mouth. Your body language – all those movements and gestures – and the tone of your voice transmit the rest.

Words offer just a model, a symbol of your experience; they can never fully describe the whole picture. Think of an iceberg – the tip above the surface is like the words you say. NLP says that this tip is the surface structure of language. Beneath the surface lies the rest of the iceberg – the home of your whole experience – which NLP calls the deep structure: the way you represent ...

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