Forum Message

Topic: Re:Re:Re:Content vs Process clarification
Posted by: nj
Date/Time: 17/11/2003 10:59:07

Hello, Dr. Grinder.

You wrote,

1. "nj, the set (the extension) you requested is from my point of view impossible to enumerate, I content myself with an intensive definition of the set, not an extensive definition - which is what I understand you to be requesting."

Actually, Dr. Grinder, I was asking for examples of what most NLPers mean by the terms "content", "process", and "form."  I recall your examples from your book.  I'm not suffering for lack of a list of possible intensional definitions.  But what I'm after is one or more examples of common usage of those terms by members of the NLPer speech community. 

Analogous to what I'm asking for, here is an example of term usage.  The example involves a fictional practitioner of therapy, a type of therapy that could be in existence right now.

2.  A group encounter session led by a "Healthy Feelings"-training therapist.  A poor unfortunate, George, volunteers some information , information about his day, to the therapist.

Therapist: "So, how is everyone today? Feeling HEALTHY?"

A group client, George: "Well, when I was backing my car out of my driveway this morning, I ran over my dog.  I really couldn't be late, so I just kept going.  But, I was late for work anyway.  That was my third late-for-work warning, so I was fired.  So I left work to go home, but when I got home, the front door was open.  I walked right in, and found my wife in bed with another man.  The man beat me up, and then my wife left the house with him, and took all her things, and some of my things.  She took my car, too, so I sat around in the living room for awhile, wondering what to do.  It had been a tough morning, so I thought about whether to try to kill myself with one of the kitchen knives, but I decided to walk here instead.  The walk was 5 hours long, and I had to walk on the freeway part of way.  While I was walking along the freeway, a cop gave me a $1,000 ticket, after he caught me dropping a gum wrapper on the ground.  Now that I'm here, because I smell after that long walk, no one will sit next to me."

Therapist: "That's all very interesting, George.  And, yes, you do smell.  But, what you just described is the CONTENT of your day.  Now, since you have decided to come here, you must focus on PROCESS, like you know it's HEALTHY to do.  George, go inside, and ask yourself, 'How much did you smile today?'" 

(Therapist turns to group)

Therapist: "Everyone knows that smiling releases HEALTHY FEELINGS, right? ..."

(Some clients nod.  Some clients start to smile.)
(therapist smiles)

Therapist: "Everyone, come on and smile!  Show some form!  That's right, spread those lips from ear-to-ear! Show me your teeth!  Smile!!"

(George smiles.)

------------

The example illustrates a pedagogical usage, by the therapist, of the terms "content", "process", and "form."  The pedagogically-relevant intensional definitions for the terms "content", "process", and "form" might be equivalent, for that therapist, to her own opinions of what validates effective therapy, process-oriented, form-emphasizing, HEALTHY FEELINGS therapy. 

Steve Andreas, in his review of the book you co-authored with Ms. Bostic St. Clair, mentions content and process and form, as if the terms "content", "process", and "form" refer to extensional examples, examples that he is familiar with. 

I'm wondering about common usage of the terms "content", "process", and "form".  Maybe each important teacher in the field of NLP has hijacked those terms for his or her own pedagogical use.  If that's the case, then answers to my question might be inconsistent with each other.

-nj


Entire Thread

TopicDate PostedPosted By
Content vs Process clarification07/11/2003 13:44:56Jon Edwards
     Re:Content vs Process clarification07/11/2003 22:12:44nj
          Re:Re:Content vs Process clarification08/11/2003 19:33:23nj
     Re:Content vs Process clarification13/11/2003 03:54:21Todd
          Re:Re:Content vs Process clarification14/11/2003 14:49:13John Grinder
               Re:Re:Re:Content vs Process clarification14/11/2003 16:16:50Jon Edwards
               Re:Re:Re:Content vs Process clarification17/11/2003 01:52:13Todd
               Re:Re:Re:Content vs Process clarification17/11/2003 10:59:07nj
               Re:Re:Re:Content vs Process clarification25/08/2004 01:11:59student
          Re:Re:Content vs Process clarification22/08/2004 11:43:24nj

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