Posts Tagged ‘language’

“Learn reverse language.” ~ Doc Meek

Image from: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jabru/4549490/

Wednesday, March 16, 2011. Today I am grateful for the knowledge of the neurology of learning.

“Reverse” language is actually “forward” language, however everybody has to kind of reverse themselves to get the hang of it in ordinary daily speech.

When someone says they had a good day or a bad day, the brain makes a picture of a good day or a bad day.

This results in one more picture in the “yellow sunshine place” in the brain, or in the “black box,” depending upon whether the picture was a good one or a bad one.

We have enough pictures that are not good in the black box already. We don’t need any more!

Someone estimated that by the time a child reaches grade one, he has 100,000 not so good pictures in his black box, and only about 3,000 good pictures in his yellow sunshine place.

Not good odds eh? When your brain is reaching for a thought, what are the chances of getting one from the yellow sunshine place?

These stacked odds are in the brains of children from normal families, with no history of neglect or abuse! Imagine the odds if the child has been witness to not good pictures all his young life, and may have even been directly abused?

Not good.

On the other hand you can daily right the balance.

I used to teach parent and teacher classes. I would day to them, “Ask me what kind of a day I had yesterday, OK?”

Someone would always oblige and I would reply:

“Let me tell you, it was not one of my best days. Not good. Not pleasant. Not great.”

So they all knew that I had not had a good day.

However, from a neurological learning point of view, here is what is happening inside the brain:

The brain cannot do a “not” without first making a picture of what comes next. In my example, as you can see, what comes next in each case is positive word or phrase (“one of my best days,” “good,” pleasant,” and “great.”)

So the yellow sunshine place got 4 more good pictures, even though I was describing a day that was not good.

Pretty good for a day that was not what I had hoped for, eh? 😮

You can  use “reverse” (actually “forward”) language like that as a matter of habit and you will be filling your yellow sunshine place to the brim over time. This will stack the odds in your favor tremendously when you reach for a thought! 😮

Thank you to whomever it was that realized that we can stack the odds in our favor, every day, simply by using “reverse” language! 😮

Doc Meek, Wed, Mar 16, 2011, Sherwood Park, Alberta, CANADA