Flat Brain Syndrome
Peterson hit in me in the head when I read his book about listening better. In Chapter 4 he mentioned 'flat brain syndrome.’ This is where your system goes nuts with trying to interpret mixed emotions during times of stress. He states that our stomachs overload on past pain and send ‘stomach pangs’ as messages to our hearts. What really hit me was his section on our hearts turning into bricks. “ Any ability we had to use heart talk, to share and be open with each other morphs into put-downs, absolute statements, and resistance” (Petersen, 2007, p. 25). I usually have a lot on my mind and am not the type of person to openly share too much. When something is really bothering me, I tend to clam up and become a little cold towards others. I’ve done and said some irritating things when my heart turns into a brick, but it is usually because of the internal dialogue that is happening. What should I do about this? I should open up to the right people in order to not ‘stuff emotions’ which results in a ‘brick heart.’ Internal emotions are better out than a spontaneous blow out. Recognize your signs of stuffing.
Alligators
Peterson talked about how the ‘alligators’ nip at our heals when we’re in a stressful situation. In normal times, we could converse in a proper way with sharing our feelings. However when we put off telling the other person how we feel or what to do, stress and false emotion gather. We start to build a ‘grudge’ and talk to ourselves internally about how the other person may not care, listen, or is lazy. The longer we wait to speak out our feelings, the bigger the alligator gets. When deadlines and activities approach, eventually we have to speak up. However, we do it with an alligator on our heals causing absolutes and negatives to blurt out. “A good listener removes alligators and secures a setting where talkers can focus on clearing their swamps” (Petersen, 2007, p. 95). How many of you are ‘emotional bottlers’? This is one of my worst issues. I have to shoot the alligators (metaphorically) and start to converse within a safe situation in order to successfully relate my message as well as listen to others.
Petersen, J., (2007). Why Don't We Listen Better? Oregon: Petersen Publications.
Peterson hit in me in the head when I read his book about listening better. In Chapter 4 he mentioned 'flat brain syndrome.’ This is where your system goes nuts with trying to interpret mixed emotions during times of stress. He states that our stomachs overload on past pain and send ‘stomach pangs’ as messages to our hearts. What really hit me was his section on our hearts turning into bricks. “ Any ability we had to use heart talk, to share and be open with each other morphs into put-downs, absolute statements, and resistance” (Petersen, 2007, p. 25). I usually have a lot on my mind and am not the type of person to openly share too much. When something is really bothering me, I tend to clam up and become a little cold towards others. I’ve done and said some irritating things when my heart turns into a brick, but it is usually because of the internal dialogue that is happening. What should I do about this? I should open up to the right people in order to not ‘stuff emotions’ which results in a ‘brick heart.’ Internal emotions are better out than a spontaneous blow out. Recognize your signs of stuffing.
Alligators
Peterson talked about how the ‘alligators’ nip at our heals when we’re in a stressful situation. In normal times, we could converse in a proper way with sharing our feelings. However when we put off telling the other person how we feel or what to do, stress and false emotion gather. We start to build a ‘grudge’ and talk to ourselves internally about how the other person may not care, listen, or is lazy. The longer we wait to speak out our feelings, the bigger the alligator gets. When deadlines and activities approach, eventually we have to speak up. However, we do it with an alligator on our heals causing absolutes and negatives to blurt out. “A good listener removes alligators and secures a setting where talkers can focus on clearing their swamps” (Petersen, 2007, p. 95). How many of you are ‘emotional bottlers’? This is one of my worst issues. I have to shoot the alligators (metaphorically) and start to converse within a safe situation in order to successfully relate my message as well as listen to others.
Petersen, J., (2007). Why Don't We Listen Better? Oregon: Petersen Publications.
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