Six Blind Elephants: Understanding Ourselves and Each Other
Volume One: Fundamental Principles of Scope and Category
Volume Two: Applications and Explorations of Scope and Category
Author: Steve Andreas
Copyright: 2006, Real People Press
Book Review by: Richard F. Liotta, Ph.D.
The first Six Blind Elephants volume of this two-volume set goes over the fundamental principles of scope and category. Andreas notes, "All of us, all the time, attend to a limited scope of experience, and then categorize it to create meaning and understanding." If we understand these processes we can utilize them to "change the scope we attend to, and/or re-categorize in a way that serves us better." It is Steve Andreas' proposition that all experience is based on a certain scope of sensory-based experience in time and space. Experience, a scope, is immediately categorized, either consciously or unconsciously, as a member of some category and then we respond to this categorization.
In the first volume Andreas examines the ways that scope becomes category and how categories affect the scope we perceive. How one does this influences thinking, feelings, and behavior. He proposes that understanding scope and category, and how they interact, provides a way to understand human experience, linguistic expression, and information processing. Further, this opens the door to other means of intervening to help people change.
The book itself goes through, in detail, the ways that experiences are categorized, such as by significance. It discusses how information is bundled and re-categorized with the addition of new information. He addresses people's criteria for categorization and related issues. He discusses how scope influences category and on distinguishing scope and category; as these are not always easy to distinguish. The book also talks about logical levels and re-interprets various aspects of NLP in terms of scope and category. Andreas is setting forth the view that scope and category can be useful in examining what goes on in various NLP techniques and in change processes in general. Volume one is well reasoned and presents a fascinating view of how people work. It simply takes some patience to digest the useful ideas that it has to offer. Volume one sets the groundwork for volume two.
In the second book he applies the ideas of scope and category to various processes. In this book he talks more about how scope and category interact in a number of different ways. How a change in scope often changes how we categorize experience and a change in categorization always changes the scope we attend to.
In this book he applies concepts of scope and category to a variety of different areas. Each chapter addresses a different concept both to elucidate the concept and make clear the implications of his view of scope and category. Chapters include: Implications, saying without saying; Negation, not this nor that; Judgment, the trap of good and bad; Modes Of Operating, basic attitudes; Self-Reference: circularity; Self-Contradiction: yes and no; Logical Paradox: self-reversal; Certainty: the unholy grail; Double Binds: narrowing choices; and Metaphor: overlapping bundles. The final chapter illustrates scope and category by examining a therapy session dealing with reaching forgiveness. Each chapter will increase your understanding of the concept discussed.
The chapter on Double Bind is illustrative. He talks about the development of the idea of double bind. He uses scope and category to help understand the structures of different specific communication patterns described by the term "Double Bind." He provides clear examples and references others work extensively. He argues that scope and category helps us recognize double binds in their various forms. Further, by understanding their structure or/and practicing them diligently we can deliberately use them more beneficially. This example mirrors the process he uses in most of the book. Identifying the concept, reviewing background information, and applying scope and category to further elucidate the concept.
The Six Blind Elephants volumes demonstrate that Andreas continues to be one of the foremost thinkers advancing the development of NLP. Andreas is explaining complex cognitive and linguistic processes with simpler terms than Hall does with his meta-levels and meta-frames (etc.). They describe similar domains in different ways. Andreas's way of doing this is a refreshing contrast to Hall's numerous terms and concepts, some of which seem unnecessary to describe the territory. These volumes will have a long term impact on future direction of NLP. The books are well referenced and thought out. In sum, this is a fascinating two volume set. I highly recommend Six Blind Elephants, both volumes. My only caution is that it does take some deliberate effort in order to digest the rich content of these books.