Ramblings from A Neuro-Linguist: Putting Descartes Before The Horse
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[Author’s Warning: This entry involves references to and discussions about the system of Cartesian Coordinates and how it might assist mediators in reality testing and reframing. Readers with a Math Phobia are advised to proceed with cautious abandonment.]
[Author’s postscript: As I finish writing this, it becomes increasingly clear to me that some readers may find the ideas in this entry, if not a bit bizarre, then certainly off the wall. I promise next month, I will write something a little more normal.]
In last month’s entry, I wrote about using the NLP Meta Model to overcome problems of perception. This month’s entry essentially follows on from that and looks at how the mathematical construct of Cartesian Coordinates can assist mediators in reality testing and reframing.
The system of Cartesian Coordinates was created by René Descartes and revolutionized mathematics by providing the first systematic link between Euclidean geometry and algebra. (I can almost see the eyes of readers glazing over!)
Put simply, if we take 2 lines and intersect them at right angles to one another, 4 quadrants are created. Naming the horizontal line “x” and the vertical line “y”, we label the point of intersection as “0”. To the right of the intersection on the horizontal line “x”, we can make gradations eg. “1”, “2”, “3” etc. To the left, we can gradate negative values eg. “-1”, “-2”, “-3”. Simlarly, above and below the intersection on the vertical line “y”, we can make positive and negative gradations respectively.
This provides us a system by which any point in any of the 4 quadrants created can be notated by a set of coordinates expressed in terms of “x” and “y”. For example, any point in the top right quadrant can be expressed by (x,y). Similarly:
– Any point in the top left quadrant expressed by (-x, y)
– Any point in the bottom right quadrant expressed by (x, -y)
– Any point in the bottom left quadrant expressed by (-x, -y)
“Fine and well”, the reader may say, “and thanks for the math lesson”. What does this have to do with mediation? I’m glad you asked ☺
Read original articleTags: Cartesian Coordinates, horizontal line
