NLP and reformed ‘fat slob’ Tony Robbins

Published on July 31, 2010 by The Editor · No Comments

Is it all Greek?

A few years ago I became an NLP practitioner. Until then I had been circling it cautiously. Mainly because I didn’t understand it.

And what I did understand, sounded to me a bit like snake oil.

So, of course, I became a fully trained practitioner. Since then I’ve hardly lifted a Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) finger in anger. Why? Because I still don’t understand it.

About a year ago, one of its founders, happy slappy genius Richard Bandler said he had no idea what his followers were talking about today … 30 years after he introduced it.

Now The Skeptic’s Dictionary, has weighed in, not unsurprisingly, with a rather unflattering profile of a so-called science that ‘programs your brains’.

Using Ancient Greece as its metaphor, the dictionary described Tony Robbins, self confessed former fat slob, as the leading light ‘of legions of sophists who travel from town to town to teach their wisdom for a fee’. Some fat slob, some fee.

I am not really sure about my feelings towards NLP. The very few times I’ve used it to lift clients out of Zombie mode has worked quite well, to be honest.

I guess it’s like most struggles with our unwillingness to come out completely of our comfort zone. By that I mean, nigh impossible.

What I do remember is my NLP tutor, a really remarkable guy, who contrived to spend three days telling us stuff that none of us understood.

And yet, somewhere in the recesses of our wotsits we sort of got it in a funny way.

And I think both Fat and Skinny Tony would have approved. You see, you ain’t supposed to get it, just do it.

Go figure.

Is NLP the real deal or have the doubters got a case? Comments, as always, gratefully received?