My great friend and internationally-recognized psychologist and NLP expert, Art Giser, wrote about yesterday’s session and the quote from Dune. I asked him if I could share it with Study Hall participants and he said, “Absolutely!”
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Some thoughts on the quote from an NLP perspective:
I have always liked that quote, and in terms of getting people to think about the power of fear, it’s fantastic. The difficulty is that it gets them to think about the power of fear.
In terms of hypnotic language patterns, it is better to not use language patterns like “I must not” “fear is the mind killer,” etc., because it is asking the unconscious to access fear, and then try to handle it. And it supports the idea that fear is more powerful than the conscious mind. It’s like saying, “Don’t think about falling because you’ll hurt yourself” and then the person has to think about falling and about falling hurting them, and then try to turn it into not falling.
According to NLP principles: in the moment of fear, the quote would be much more effective for most people if they just thought: “I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past, I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone, there will be nothing. Only I will remain.” (From Dune by Frank Herbert)
That part of the quote has great hypnotic language patterns (including the accessing of the “I” that is not the fear; it is only experiencing the fear). People tend to make what they feel part of their identity (“I am a fearful person”).
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Great feedback! Thank you, Art!!! Fantastic insights and suggestions!! Art has amazing workshops on healing and other topics for those who are interested. I’ve attended and Art has coached me; and he is extraordinary!! Highly recommended!!
What about NOT being intrepid? How has it felt when you have lost your nerve, found your courage sapped, and your resolve weakened?
Among the famous lines from Dune by Frank Herbert is, “I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past, I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone, there will be nothing. Only I will remain.”
What have you done in the past to change not feeling intrepid into at least a neutral feeling, if not the ability to re-access intrepidness? What works for you to transform fear?
Intrepid honesty may be among the most difficult forms of being intrepid because, although we value honesty as a virtue in our culture, most of us have had difficulty facing it as regards ourselves.
To hear that we have let ourselves go, or that we changed from the sweet wonderful person we once were, or that we have caused harm, or been unfair, or that others are worried for us – these examples of being intrepidly honest demonstrate how we are likely to squirm when confronted with a focused view of reality – whether from others or ourselves observing ourselves.
Honesty must be constructively and lovingly offered to have a reasonable chance of being effective. Intrepid honesty is fearlessly loving in its intent to support one’s own or another’s growth.
How often are you intrepidly honest with yourself? With others? How do you access the level of courage required to be intrepid in sharing your constructive observations? Are you willing to be intrepid in your sharing even if you know that what you communicate will be met with difficulty or even total rejection?
Where in your life would it be the most useful for you to be intrepid? Being fearlessly committed to some aspect of your life, in my experience in working with clients, is something that most all humans understand.
Consider the example of becoming parents. No one knows how things are going to turn out with children. There are tremendous risks of every kind, yet children continue to be born to millions of parents who raise and nurture them. And, of course, some parents are intrepid in pursuing habits which lead them to be poor parents (the subject of another blog).
Assuming that being intrepid is something that you as a human being know a lot about, where would you like to apply that understanding? Where would persevering against the odds, being resolute, and staying strong benefit you the most?
First, I have to admit that the quality of being intrepid is one of my all-time favorites. Check out this definition from the Merriam-Webster Dictionary: “characterized by resolute fearlessness, fortitude, and endurance.”
We’ve written in our book, Tougher Times, that current economic conditions require persistence and imagination. Being intrepid in the face of difficulty is a worthwhile quality to cultivate.
Being intrepid is far easier if you firmly believe in your cause, your business, your values, and your goals. Can you think of an aspect of your life where you have refused to give up, no matter what?
It may be something that others have told you is impossible; and some may have even tried to dissuade you from your commitment.
How have you dealt with your own doubt or the opinions of others who questioned the wisdom of your commitment to your goals? How have you maintained your persistence?