Am I Against NLP ?

November 23, 2009 by Pete Carapetyan

Am I against NLP? 

Chuckle.

On the face of it, for and against is a pretty silly concept, as relating to a discipline. How can you be for or against a discipline ? The discipline either works, or it doesn't. Being for or against such a thing only makes one look foolish, the discipline stands on it's own merit. Can you be for or against education? Don't be ridiculous.

For

Would I like to see NLP grow beyond what it is today? Goodness me. By factors of many hundreds. I'm a programmer. NLP is all about programming. Duh. 

NLP has worked for me beyond my wildest expectations. I've solved personal problems that make me shudder just thinking about my previous existence, yet the solutions remained beyond my reach for decades until I found these very accessible techniques. Somewhat effortlessly, I might add.

Against

NLP has to be sold, like anything else. Even more so when it breaks so many rules. When things are supposed to be hard, they are supposed to be hard. Anything that makes hard easy is a tough sell, and that's mostly what I'm against, previous decades "tough sell" techniques.

NLP is often sold on a basis of understanding that I do not appreciate. New age, pie in the sky, woo woo stuff. It makes my skin crawl. Again, I'm a programmer. If it works, it works, all that other stuff is just a way to destroy NLP's overall credibility, while maintaining a very modest marketplace for a few who can exploit the "Woo-woo" side of the sale.

Time and Place

NLP has in many ways existed as a fringe movement. That self imposed exile is OK for those who are best served by being in exile, but for those of us who wish some of the benefits could have greater credibility, it's a bit of a problem.

By creating doubt around NLP we get to change the conversation. It is this time, and this place.