Liminal Thinking: Create the Change You Want by Changing the Way You Think

by Dave Gray

Double-loop learning is a way to break out of a rut by challenging your own beliefs and trying on new ones. You can even test beliefs that you think are wrong—and you should.

Here’s how to practice double-loop learning:

First, recognize that, although you may not be able to see it, you are operating in a bubble of belief, a reality distortion field.

Don’t just observe behavior. Try to figure out the underlying needs and beliefs that are operating in any...

Double loop learning

I started out this book by explaining that a belief is a story in your head.

The best way to share a belief is with a story. Or is it with a drawing??? :)

Prompting other people to tell stories, and listening to them, is as much of an art as storytelling.

A good way to elicit stories from people is through the use of something called a story prompt. Story prompts are questions about people’s experiences and how they made meaning out of them. Things like: “Think of the best team you’ve ever been a part of. What happened that made you feel that way?” “What is the most scared you have ever been? What happened?” “Tell me about a time when you felt uncomfortable or out of

place. What did you do about it?” “What was your best day at work here, and what made it great?” “What was your worst day, and what happened that made it so bad?” “Did you ever have an experience that changed your life? What happened?”

This makes a story a perfect mechanism for making sense of, and sharing, information. In effect, a story translates facts into “rules for action.” A story is just about the most perfect way to package and share beliefs that you will ever find.

Make a list of some of your favorite stories. What are some stories you find yourself telling about yourself and your life, over and over? What does that tell you about your beliefs?

The thing to remember is that no matter how it ends, you are building your own personal capability for change, and you are creating your future. You are contributing to create a future that you want.

We start, as babies, with a chaos of perceptions, needs, and emotions, like building blocks strewn around a room. From these basic building blocks, we create order. As children, we adopt and discard beliefs on an ongoing basis, pretty easily. Over time and with a lot of experimentation, we create elaborate structures of meaning, beautiful cities of the mind. We create elegant structures of belief, that frame and explain our surroundings, help us make sense of the world, and guide our actions. As these belief structures evolve, and as we act on them, we become more invested in them and more reluctant to throw them away.

At the end of the day, we are dependent on our experiences. They are the most concrete facts of our lives. We assemble this chaotic stream of sensations and perceptions to make order and sense of things. But the world is not static or stable, and the structures of belief that help us navigate our world must evolve continually if we are to remain on top of things. No matter how elaborate or perfect your system of belief may seem, it is vulnerable to the steady pace of change over time. The world turns, things change, and beliefs that once served you well will no longer be valid.

Now What?

He said, “A new type of thinking is essential if mankind is to survive and move

toward higher levels.”

You can reach Dave by email at dave.gray@gmail.com.