NLP, Paranoia v real skill development

When I first began exploring NLP in the 1990s I was taught "The Map is not the territory" and this made perfect sense to me. Years later I began to realise that although this is one of the basic presuppositions of NLP, there were indeed many battles in the commercial business area of NLP over perceived "territory" It always surprised me that field which claimed to promote excellence and building rapport should in many instances be so adverserial with a strong "Us or them factor" where during initial meetings with other NLPers the first question is

"Who did you train with"

Once such NLPers become more well known in their own right, their original trainers (mostly who would not even recognise them or remember their names) would proudly proclaim

"He's one of ours!"

As David Crosby once sang

"paranoia strikes deep. into your heart it will creep. it happens when you're always afraid. step out of line and the man comes to take you away. stop, hey, what's that sound? everybody look what's going down. its time we stop, hey, what's that sound? everybody look what's going down. stop, hey, what's that sound? everybody look what's going down."

A professional colleague of mine also made this observation about paranoia among NLPers, comenting that during one training he frequently kept hearing the phrase persona non grata, as a description to individuals who had "fallen from grace" and been cast out of "the circle of trust" (See Meet the Parents for full reference) IMO this kind of attitude and paranoia does little to advance good debate and promote new insights. The internut is full of quite ludicrous comments and postings about whose NLP is best and who trained with whom, totally disregarding the benefits of at times agreeing to disagree!

There are fortunately some "green shoots of optimism)with some independent thinkers who are focussed on advancing new ideas and processes. Most such folks do not have celebrity status and tend to be more maverick at a time when NLP appears to increasingly come under scrutiny from the public at large. I have never considered myself to be part of any club that would have me as a member and am truly grateful to those colleagues who have encouraged my own work and writings.

Such skilled individuals care title about celebrity endorsements and other such nonsense and are more concerned in how they can best use their skills to genuinely help others.

www.nickkemp.com