[Neurons] 2026 Neurons #10 IT'S ALL IN YOUR HEAD!

Mon Mar 9 05:39:50 EET 2026

From: L. Michael Hall

2026 Neurons #10

March 9, 2026

Problem Solving Expertise #12

IT'S ALL IN YOUR HEAD!

While it's easy to take the comment in the title ("It's all in your head")
as a criticism or an insult, it is actually a recognition of your cognitive
powers.  That is, it's great that it's all in your head!  Why?  That's
because, inasmuch as 'problems' do not exist 'out there' in the physical
world but inside your mind as an inadequate way of thinking, every true and
actual problem is in your head.  How about that?  Problems are in your head.
What's great about this insight is that if it is in your head-then you have
the power to change it, to update it, to upgrade it, to transform it.

If a problem is all in your head, then Einstein's comment explains why the
first thing to do is to precisely define the problem.  Einstein wrote, "The
mere formulation of a problem is far more often essential than its
solution."  This explains why solutions typically come quickly and easily
once you have a clear, concise, and accurate definition of a problem.  No
wonder problem formulation is so important.  And why a problem well-defined
is 50%, and sometimes it is 90% solved.  Whatever the percentage is-a
well-defined problem enables you to know precisely where to aim a solution.

Next, if a problem is "all in your head," then it is your frame-of-reference
as your way of thinking which distorts things, mis-applies things,
mis-understands, mis-perceives, limits, or in some other way creates the
problem.  And if the frame is the problem (and not the person), then your
ability to develop true expertise in problem-solving rests in your ability
to detect and break that frame.  Consider that.  "The person is not the
problem, the frame is the problem."  And frames exist in a person's mind,
not 'out there.'

If that's the secret to problem-solving expertise, how skilled are you in
recognizing a frame and changing it?  Can you do it in real time?  What's
critical in this process?  It is to not keep thinking the same way about the
problem.  Whatever you do, try on a new, different, and even a weird way of
thinking about it.  How you look at a problem is a crucial mental process
that shapes what you think it is and how you deal with it.  The art of
breaking a frame starts with your ability to change your way of thinking.

The idea that the ultimate structure of a problem lies in the frame alerts
us that solutions will involve working with the frame.  For that, we can
reframe, deframe, pre-frame, post-frame, counter-frame, analogously frame,
and outframe.  These framing processes [which you can find in the book,
Mind-Lines: Lines for Changing Your Mind] inform us about how to address a
problematic frame.

If problems are in the mind, then what is 'out there?'  What's out there is
the world of physics and actions.  There are natural forces-winds, rain,
snow, ice, floods, tornados, typhoons, earthquakes, and on and on.  There
are also other forces-gravity, electricity, chemicals, elements, etc.  There
are also animal and human forces-attacks, threats, insults, robbing,
stealing, molesting, cheating, lying, defrauding, etc.  These are the things
we have to deal with.  While these are not the actual 'problem,' they are or
can be problematic to us-and that's because we want to change these things.

As we want something different, that want is what's in our mind and points
to the real problem.  If the way we interpret the external force or action
blocks us and interferes with what we want to do or experience, then we are
literally have created a 'pro-blem.'  Now we have an actual external
difficulty.  The difficulty is that when we want to achieve a goal, our
attitude about what is external is what actually stops us.  It seems that
the problem is 'out there' and in the difficulty, but it is not.  The
problem lies on our thinking and attitude about what is 'out there.'

All of this enables us to now distinguish the external referent of forces
and actions 'out there' from the actual problem in our mind.  We now
experience a gap between what exists and what we want to change.  The gap
defines the landscape of the problem-a distance between our current state or
experience and the desired state or experience which we want.

The next time someone tells you, "It's all in your head!" thank them!   Say,
"Thank you for acknowledging that I, as the meaning-maker, am the source and
creator of problems because that means I'm also the source and creator of
solutions."  Here's to you having some great problems in your mind and to
your creativity in solving those problems!

Neuro-Semantics News: ACMC in Bali --- April 11 - 19.

*       This is for becoming a Professional Coach or a Professional
Communicator.  If interested, contact Mariani  Ng at Mind-Mind .
Mariani_ng at meta-mind.com 

Gemini_Generated_Image_7tfamu7tfamu7tfa (2)

L. Michael Hall, Ph.D.

Executive Director, ISNS

738 Beaver Lodge

Grand Jct., CO. 81505 USA

meta at acsol.net 

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