The Meta Model consists of 13 patterns divided into three categories:

• Deletions
  • Simple deletions
  • Unspecified referential index
  • Unspecified verbs
  • Judgements
  • Comparisons
• Generalizations
  • Modal operators of possibility
  • Modal operators of necessity
  • Universals
• Distortions
  • Nominalizations
  • Mind reading
  • Cause and effect
  • Complex equivalents
  • Presuppositions

What does the Meta Model do?

• Gathers information
  By challenging deletions the Meta Model recovers important information that has been left out of the surface structure.
• Clarifies meaning
  It gives a systematic framework for asking "What exactly do you mean?" When you do not understand what another person means, that is your cue to ask Meta Model questions.
• Identifies limits
  By challenging the rules and generalizations that you are applying to your thinking, the Meta Model questions show where you are limiting yourself and how you could be freer and more creative.
• Gives choices
  By showing the limits of language and thought, especially where distortions are limiting clear thought and action, the Meta Model expands your map of the world. It does not give the right answer, or right map, but it enriches the one you have.

Meta Model Patterns: Deletions

Simple deletions

A simple deletion is when something important is missing out of a sentence, for example:
"Go and do it."
You will often see the words "it" and "that" in sentences with simple deletions. You need to recover the information that is missing with open questions.
"Go and do it." "What exactly am I to do?"

Question simple deletions by asking: "What or where or when exactly...?"

Unspecified referential index

A referential index is the person or thing that takes action or is affected by an action. When this is unspecified, you are left with something being done but nobody doing it, for example:
"Mistakes were made."

Listen for words like "him", "her", "they" and "one". Passive verbs are a good example of this pattern. A passive verb says that something was done rather than a person did something.
"Mistakes were made." "Who made the mistakes?"

Questions unspecified referential index by asking: "Who exactly?"

Unspecified verbs

An unspecified verb deletes exactly how an event happened, for example:
"They were thinking."

Recover the deleted information by asking exactly how the event happened.
"They were thinking." "How exactly were they thinking?"

Question unspecified verbs by asking: "How exactly...?"

Judgements

Judgements are statements of opinion which are expressed as if they were facts.
"You are insensitive."

You need to question the values that lie behind these judgements and who is doing the judging.
"You are insensitive." "Who says and by what standard am I insensitive?"

Unowned judgements cause trouble. Prejudice is the result of thoughtless judgements. Question judgements by asking: "Who is making the judgement and by what standard?" A quick challenge is:
"Who says so?"

Comparisons

A comparison compares one thing with another in order to evaluate it, for example:
"I did that badly."

Look and listen for words like, better, worse, easier, good and bad. Make sure there is a basis for comparison. When there is not, ask about the comparison, for example:
"I did that badly." "Badly compared to what?"

Comparisons can be very important. They are often used to motivate people by setting a standard to aspire to. However, the standard may be unrealistic or not appropriate. Question comparisons by asking:
"Compared with what...?"

Meta Model Patterns: Generalizations

Modal Operators of Possibility:

These are words that set rules about what is possible: can, can not, possible, impossible.

• Question the generalized rule and the imagined consequences by asking, "What would happen if you did?" "What are you afraid of?"
• Question the presupposition that something is not possible by presupposing that it is possible and ask what stops the action.
  "I just couldn't refuse." "What stopped you from refusing?"
• Apply the "as if" frame to open up some creative thought in a non-threatening way.
  "I can't relax." "Just suppose you could. What would that be like?"
• Summary:
  "What would happen if you did?"
  "What stops you?"
  "Just suppose you could."

Modal Operators of Necessity:

These are rules about what is necessary and appropriate: should, shouldn't, must, mustn't.

• Question the imagined consequences of the rule by asking: "What would happen if you did not?"
• Challenge the necessity by asking: "Is that really necessary? What forces you to do that?"
• Apply the "as if " frame by saying something like, "Just suppose you didn't have to, what would that be like?"
• Summary:
  "What would happen if you did/did not?"
  "Why not/what makes you?"
  "Just suppose you did/didn't."

Universals

Universals are a pattern of generalization usine words like always, never, everybody, and nobody, for example:
"I'll never be able to do it."

• You can question in three ways:
  • Go for a counter example.
    "Everyone is laughing at me." "I'm not laughing at you."
  • Exaggerate!
    "I'll never be able to do it." "You're right, you'll never be able to do it."
  • Isolate and query the universal. This is the safest way to challenge.
    "Nothing ever happens around here." "Nothing? At all? Never?"

Meta Model Patterns: Distortions

Nominalizations

A nomilization is the result of a verb being turned into an abstract noun, for example:
"We must make a change around here."
To question a nomilization, turn the noun back into the verb and express the thought as a process. You need to recover the referential indices to clarify a nominilization completely.
"We must make a change around here." "What exactly are you planning to change, what is your outcome and how are you planning to change?"

Mind reading

Mind reading presumes that you know another person's internal state with no evidence or sensory-specific calibration.
"You are only doing that to annoy me."
Mind reading is questioned by asking for sensory-specific evidence.
"You are only doing that to annoy me." "What makes you think that?"

Mind reading can also work in reverse - you assume other people know what you want without you having to tell them.
"You should know I don't like that.
Reverse mind reading is questioned by asking how you were supposed to know and by bringing out the assumption that you can read the person's mind.
"You should know I don't like that." "How should I know? I am not a mind reader."

Cause and effect

The cause and effect pattern implies that one person's behavior can "make" another person respond in a certain way.
"She scares me." There are three ways of questioning cause-effect statements:

• Ask exactly how one thing causes another. This challenges the unspecified verb, but leaves the assumption of cause-effect and lack of choice intact.
• Ask about choice. Question whether the person believes they have any choice about the cause-effect.
• The most challenging way to deal with cause-effect statements is to assume choice and ask the person why they choose to feel the way they do.
• You could even use the cause-effect pattern as a question to itself:
  "I am upset because of you." "How do I make you choose to be upset?"

Reverse cause-effect: "I made him upset."
Question cause-effect by questioning how exactly one thing causes the other or challenge it by replacing cause-effect with choice. How exactly does this cause that?
You are choosing this response when that happens. Would you like another choice?
How do you choose to respond like this?

Complex equivalents

Complex equivalents are two statements linked so that one means the other. The word "therefore" belongs between them, although this is usually deleted from the surface structure, for example:
"She's always late (therefore) she doesn't care." (The behavior of being late is made equivalent to the state not caring.)
Question complex equivalents by asking how the two statements are connected.
"She's always late (therefore) she doesn't care." "Do you really think that being late means she doesn't care? It could mean she has a difficult journey."

You can also question complex equivalents by asking:
How come this means that?
What evidence do you have that this means that?
Does this mean that every time?
Have there been times when this did not mean that?
Does it mean that for you?

Presuppositions

Presuppositions assume something about the situation that comes from their map of the world.

There are three ways to question presuppositions:

• Present the presupposition directly and ask the person if they really mean it.
  "Why do you want to hurt me?" "Do you think I want to hurt you?"
• Present the presupposition and challenge it.
  "When are you going to act responsibly?" "You are assuming I'm not acting responsibly. Is that what you think? I believe I'm acting responsibly."
• You can also accept the presupposition and challenge the deletions and generalizations that are implicit.
  "Why can't you do anything right?" "What do I have to do for it to be right?"

Question presuppositions by bringing them into the open: "What leads you to believe...?"