Behavior - 4 box model
Maria Nemeth in the book Mastering Life’s Energies describes the four-box model. The model describes how we create conclusions and how we behave based on these conclusions and thereby also effecting how other people create conclusions about us and behave towards us.
The four-box model shows how we create our own picture of the world. How the brain all the time creates conclusions about everything even if we may not even be aware of it. When an individual focuses on one of these conclusions he or she directly starts to gather evidence to support the conclusion. If you focusing on the conclusion “responsibility” you will gather evidence for how much you got. Maria Nemeth also concludes that we act as an immediate reflection of the evidence that we are focusing on. Our behaviour is, verbally and non-verbally, automated.
The four-box model shows how we create our own picture of the world. How the brain all the time creates conclusions about everything even if we may not even be aware of it. When an individual focuses on one of these conclusions he or she directly starts to gather evidence to support the conclusion. If you focusing on the conclusion “responsibility” you will gather evidence for how much you got. Maria Nemeth also concludes that we act as an immediate reflection of the evidence that we are focusing on. Our behaviour is, verbally and non-verbally, automated.
Lets look close at how Nemeth describes the process that we all use to create our experiences. The four-box model explains the process.
Box 1 is the conclusion. Normally it is believed that a conclusion is an opinion that we have created based on important facts and data. However, Maria Nemeth starts with the conclusion. It means that in the beginning there is a conclusion. According to Nemeth humans are conclusion-producing machines. For example, it is known that humans are very quickly making conclusion about others, normally based on initial impression within 1 to 2 minutes,. Malcom Gladwell refers to this as cutting thin slices from reality. During the years Nemeth has done the following observations:
1. A conclusion is like a reflex. Very little is required to create one.
2. When it has been initiated, the brain focuses on finding evidence that validates the already drawn conclusion
3. Based on this our evidence is automatic and generally determined by the conclusion, not the other way around.
Nemeth argues that this ability to draw quick conclusions from our surrounding has probably been of great help in surviving during earlier times. As we are not as strong a as some animals, we have learned to judge situations and people quickly.
Box 2 looks at what evidence we find for our conclusions. If we for example imagine a workplace where an employee meets a colleague and says “My manager is an jerk”. The colleague replays, “Are you sure? He may only have a tough week, the computer system has not worked this week”. The next thing the employee probably does is to give the colleague evidence that supports the manager’s status as a jerk. It is natural because the employee has focused the mind towards evidence that supports the conclusion. It means that the employee is much less receptive of evidence that supports any other conclusion. If the colleague would listen to the employee and respond something like “I hear what you say but are you entirely sure that the manager just has a couple of tough days?” Then the colleague is brave and the colleague would challenge the employee’s conclusion and the employee may to some extent re-evaluate the conclusion.
Box 3 is about how you act based on the evidence that you got. You can´t help to act based on the evidence you are focusing on. People are firmly programmed to react based on what we experience, weather it is true or not. Neuropsychological research shows that the brain often is unsuccessful at determining what is happening on the outside, in the physical reality, and what is happening inside the brain. This is the principle behind focused visualisations: if you create a calm and beautiful picture in your mind your hearth rhythm and other physical processes will follow. See more about this in the recommended video with Amy Cuddy.
Box 4 is about how others act around us. Lets continue the scenario with the employee, colleague, and manager. While the employee is talking to the colleague, the manager steps into the room. The manager looks at the employee and you can imagine that the employee is not fond of seeing the manager. He notices this and leaves the room or he frowns and asks a favour. It makes the employs go “what did I say”. The original conclusion in box 1 is confirmed.
This four-box model is un avoidable. The order can´t be changed but you can take control over what is in each box.
Nemeth also uses an example with mother Teresa to exemplify the model. Mother Terese has often quotes as perceiving every person as Christ in disguise. She held this believe true for everyone. This is a box 1 conclusion – everyone is Christ. With this conclusion box 2 would probably be about how valuable everyone is. In box 3 mother Teresa's behaviour towards the people she meets was most likely happy, inspired, dedicated to make sure everyone experienced dignity, respect and love. Finally, how would other people act towards mother Teresa if she acts like above? It is likely that they would feel that everything is as it should, that they are appreciated and spiritually healed. (there are several stories about people just feeling warm inside by watching mother Teresa).
It is extremely difficult to change behaviour with the attention focused at the same conclusion. Nemeth has worked with this model for several years and has come to the following insight about behaviour:
1. If you want to change behaviour, don’t focus at the behaviour as such
2. Focus on changing your conclusion into something that is interesting to you.
3. Your behavior will naturally and without effort change to the new evidence that your conclusion creates.
Box 1 is the conclusion. Normally it is believed that a conclusion is an opinion that we have created based on important facts and data. However, Maria Nemeth starts with the conclusion. It means that in the beginning there is a conclusion. According to Nemeth humans are conclusion-producing machines. For example, it is known that humans are very quickly making conclusion about others, normally based on initial impression within 1 to 2 minutes,. Malcom Gladwell refers to this as cutting thin slices from reality. During the years Nemeth has done the following observations:
1. A conclusion is like a reflex. Very little is required to create one.
2. When it has been initiated, the brain focuses on finding evidence that validates the already drawn conclusion
3. Based on this our evidence is automatic and generally determined by the conclusion, not the other way around.
Nemeth argues that this ability to draw quick conclusions from our surrounding has probably been of great help in surviving during earlier times. As we are not as strong a as some animals, we have learned to judge situations and people quickly.
Box 2 looks at what evidence we find for our conclusions. If we for example imagine a workplace where an employee meets a colleague and says “My manager is an jerk”. The colleague replays, “Are you sure? He may only have a tough week, the computer system has not worked this week”. The next thing the employee probably does is to give the colleague evidence that supports the manager’s status as a jerk. It is natural because the employee has focused the mind towards evidence that supports the conclusion. It means that the employee is much less receptive of evidence that supports any other conclusion. If the colleague would listen to the employee and respond something like “I hear what you say but are you entirely sure that the manager just has a couple of tough days?” Then the colleague is brave and the colleague would challenge the employee’s conclusion and the employee may to some extent re-evaluate the conclusion.
Box 3 is about how you act based on the evidence that you got. You can´t help to act based on the evidence you are focusing on. People are firmly programmed to react based on what we experience, weather it is true or not. Neuropsychological research shows that the brain often is unsuccessful at determining what is happening on the outside, in the physical reality, and what is happening inside the brain. This is the principle behind focused visualisations: if you create a calm and beautiful picture in your mind your hearth rhythm and other physical processes will follow. See more about this in the recommended video with Amy Cuddy.
Box 4 is about how others act around us. Lets continue the scenario with the employee, colleague, and manager. While the employee is talking to the colleague, the manager steps into the room. The manager looks at the employee and you can imagine that the employee is not fond of seeing the manager. He notices this and leaves the room or he frowns and asks a favour. It makes the employs go “what did I say”. The original conclusion in box 1 is confirmed.
This four-box model is un avoidable. The order can´t be changed but you can take control over what is in each box.
Nemeth also uses an example with mother Teresa to exemplify the model. Mother Terese has often quotes as perceiving every person as Christ in disguise. She held this believe true for everyone. This is a box 1 conclusion – everyone is Christ. With this conclusion box 2 would probably be about how valuable everyone is. In box 3 mother Teresa's behaviour towards the people she meets was most likely happy, inspired, dedicated to make sure everyone experienced dignity, respect and love. Finally, how would other people act towards mother Teresa if she acts like above? It is likely that they would feel that everything is as it should, that they are appreciated and spiritually healed. (there are several stories about people just feeling warm inside by watching mother Teresa).
It is extremely difficult to change behaviour with the attention focused at the same conclusion. Nemeth has worked with this model for several years and has come to the following insight about behaviour:
1. If you want to change behaviour, don’t focus at the behaviour as such
2. Focus on changing your conclusion into something that is interesting to you.
3. Your behavior will naturally and without effort change to the new evidence that your conclusion creates.
Source:
Maria Nemeth, Mastering Life's Energies: Simple Steps to a Luminous Life at Work and Play,Sphere, The Mind Gym, 2005, London (link to latest edition)
Maria Nemeth, Mastering Life's Energies: Simple Steps to a Luminous Life at Work and Play,Sphere, The Mind Gym, 2005, London (link to latest edition)
