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Blink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
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Neuro-linguistic Programming for Dummies summary
Romilla Ready and Kate Burton
A beginner's guide to one of psychology's hottest topics
13 mins
Brief summary
Neuro-linguistic Programming for Dummies is an easy-to-understand guide to NLP techniques. It teaches communication and behavioral skills, helping readers identify and change negative patterns of thought and behavior. The book is recommended for beginners and those who want to learn more about NLP.
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Neuro-linguistic Programming for Dummies
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Neuro-linguistic programming recognizes that everyone is different and aims to improve our modes of communication.
So what exactly is neuro-linguistic programming?
NLP, as it’s commonly referred to, is the study of how we understand and experience the world around us.
Let’s start by looking at what everyone has in common – the five senses that we use to experience the world around us. That world includes our own body, the objects and people around us, as well as everything else that can be touched, heard, seen, tasted and smelled.
This sensory information travels through our neurological system to the brain. Our perspective is unique to us because what we experience gets filtered by a number of things, including our personal values, social and cultural backgrounds, memories of past experiences and so on.
A person's unique set of filters constitutes what's known as that person's internal representation, or IR.
Perhaps you've had this experience, or something similar to it: You and a friend go to a party, at which you talk to the same people, listen to the same music and eat the same food. Afterward, this friend starts talking about how unenjoyable the party was, though you had a fantastic time.
Well, this is a classic example of a difference in IR. Your past experiences and personal proclivities primed you to find the evening enjoyable; your friend's, on the other hand, primed her to dislike the food and be bored by the conversation.
An awareness that everyone lives according to their own set of filters is central to NLP. And with this understanding comes the belief that communication and understanding can be improved.
So the aim of NLP is to help us become better prepared to communicate with, as well as more flexible in our understanding of, others.
Sounds good, right? In the blinks ahead, we’ll be looking at some of the specific ways in which NLP attempts to improve communication, starting with how to establish good rapport.
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What is Neuro-linguistic Programming for Dummies about?
Neuro-linguistic Programming for Dummies (2015) is an introduction to the basic principles behind NLP. If you’ve ever struggled to say what’s on your mind, NLP may be of use to you. Discover the human traits that can keep us from understanding each other and the helpful methods that can lead to clear and effective communication.
Best quote from Neuro-linguistic Programming for Dummies
Rapport is like money: you realise that you have a problem only when you dont have enough of it.
—Romilla Ready and Kate Burton
Who should read Neuro-linguistic Programming for Dummies?
- Readers who strive to communicate clearly
- Students of neuroscience and linguistics
- Anyone open to new ideas and techniques for improvement
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