THE WISDOM IMPERATIVE: A BRIEF PERSPECTIVE FROM BATESON

“If we continue to operate in terms of Cartesian dualism of mind versus matter, we shall probably also continue to see the world in terms of God versus man; elite versus people; chosen race versus others; nation versus nation; and man versus environment. It is doubtful whether a species having both an advanced technology and this strange way of looking at its world can endure. Bateson (1972, p. 337)

Reading Michael's NLP Secrets motivated me to read Gregory Bateson’s writings. They provide insight into the epistemological foundational of NLP. They also present sacred callings to the Neuro-Semantics community. It is a call to incorporate systemic views into our maps and to the wisdom of creating a long view. Bateson describes wisdom to be “the knowledge of the larger interactive system (1972, p. 443).” He calls it systemic wisdom. The frames supporting this wisdom are not just nice ideas. Bateson believed that they are essential to our survival.

TWO HARMFUL HABITS OF MIND Two harmful habits are obstacles to systemic wisdom. The first involves applying quick fixes to solve surface level causes. The problems often get worse.