Neuro Linguistic Programming

'Internal' and 'external'

Have you ever noticed that some people have a need for feedback to guide them on the best course of action to take while others rely on their own judgement? Take the following two individuals. When Jodie sings she knows she's performed well by the way she feels inside, and when people start to clap it merely confirms for her what she instinctively knows already. She appears self-assured but can be difficult to handle sometimes because she tends to act as if she has all the right answers. Caitlyn needs to hear the applause from the audience before she's convinced about the success of her performance. She's really open to feedback from her coach and tends to rely on him to advise her of the best songs to choose.

Understanding internal and external patterns

This difference in approaches is all about where the locus of control lies. This can either be within the individual (internal) or it can arise from an external source.

People with an internal pattern use their inner feelings as their main way of evaluating success. They know inside when they've done well and don't need other people to tell them. When taken to extreme this means they