# This Is Not That

> differences that make a difference


## Posts

- [Test Blank format](https://thisisnotthat.com/test-blank-format/)
- [Hello world!](https://thisisnotthat.com/hello-world/): Welcome to WordPress. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start writing!
- [C. Rose Brain Series 3, #1: Aggression](https://thisisnotthat.com/c-rose-brain-series-3-1-aggression/): To begin the third Charlie Rose Brain Series with Dr. Eric Kandel based on the theme of Brain Science and Society, they address the subject of aggression. Their expert panel includes: David Anderson of the California Institute of Technology, Richard Tremblay of University of Montreal, Johanna Ray Vollhardt of Clark University, Emil Coccaro of University of Chicago, and Adrian Raine of University of Pennsylvania. This episode aired on March 4, 2015. In this 5:30 excerpt, Charlie and Dr. Kandel introduce the third series and this episode on aggression, while David Anderson gives an overiew of where aggressive behavior manifests in ... Read more
- [C. Rose Brain Series 2, #16: Blindness](https://thisisnotthat.com/c-rose-brain-series-2-16-blindness/): In the sixteenth and last full episode of the second Charlie Rose Brain Series, Charlie and co-host Dr. Eric Kandel talk about problems associated with sight that result in blindness. Their panel included Sanford Greenberg, Chairman of the Board of Governors of Johns Hopkins Wilmer Eye Institute ; Jean Bennett; Steven Schwartz of the Jules Stein Eye Institute; and Eberhart Zrenner and Carla Shatz of Stanford University. This episode aired on April 20, 2014. This excerpt presents clips from the introduction of the segment with Charlie and Dr. Kandel.
- [C. Rose Brain Series 2: Neuroscience Update](https://thisisnotthat.com/c-rose-brain-series-2-neuroscience-update/): In this special segment of the second Charlie Rose Brain Series with Dr. Eric Kandel, journalist James Gorman of the New York Times discusses the Human Connectome Project of Washington University to develop a “wiring diagram” of a living human brain. This 21-minute segment aired on January 6, 2014.
- [C. Rose Brain Series 2, #15: Hearing](https://thisisnotthat.com/c-rose-brain-series-2-15-hearing/): In the fifteenfth episode of the second Charlie Rose Brain Series, Charlie and co-host Dr. Eric Kandel discuss hearing with David Corey of Harvard University , Frank Lin of Johns Hopkins University, Ruth Bentler of the University of Iowa and Dr. Ingeborg Hochmair. This episode aired October 10, 2013. In the following excerpt, Dr. David Corey explains the process of hearing.
- [C. Rose Brain Series 2, #14: The BRAIN Initiative](https://thisisnotthat.com/brain-initiative/): In this special episode of the second season of the Brain Series, Charlie Rose and Eric Kandel host an esteemed panel of neuroscientists to discusss President Obama’s BRAIN Initiative. Joining Charlie and Eric are Thomas Insel of the National Institute of Mental Health, Story Landis of the National Institute of Health, Cornelia Bargmann of Rockefeller University and William Newsome of Stanford University. The excerpt below includes the introduction to the episode and some of the highlights.
- [C. Rose Brain Series 2, #13: Public Policy Implications](https://thisisnotthat.com/public-policy-implications/): In the thirteenth episode of the second Charlie Rose Brain Series, Charlie and co-host Dr. Eric Kandel discuss the Public Policy Implications of the New Science of Mind with Alan Alda, Daniel Kahneman, Michael Shadlen, and Waler Mischel.. This episode aired March 7, 2012. The following three excerpts include: Eric Kandel on the New Science of Mind; Walter Mischel explaining the significance of his Marshmallow Experiment and delayed gratification; Mischel and Daniel Kahneman discussing two different metaphors for different brain dispositions (Mischel’s hot/cool and Kahneman’s fast/slow).  
- [C. Rose Brain Series 2, #12: Post Traumatic Stress](https://thisisnotthat.com/ptsd/): In the twelfth episode of the second Charlie Rose Brain Series, Charlie and co-host Dr. Eric Kandel discuss post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with Retired Lieutenant Colonel John O’Brien; Murray Stein from the University of California, San Diego; Lisa Shin, from Tufts University; Kerry Ressler from Emory University and JoAnn Difede from Weill Cornell Medical College. This episode aired December 14, 2012. Overview of Post Traumatic Stress
- [C. Rose Brain Series 2, #11: Pain](https://thisisnotthat.com/pain/): In the eleventh episode of the 2nd season of the Charlie Rose Brain Series, Charlie and co-host Dr. Eric Kandel hosted a panel to discuss the neurological manifestations of pain. The panel included: David Julius, University of California, San Francisco; Allan Basbaum, University of California, San Francisco; Robert Dworkin, University of Rochester Medical Center; David Borsook of Boston Children’s Hospital; and Laurie Klein, nursing student at LSU. This episode originally on November 23, 2012. Overview of Pain
- [C. Rose Brain Series 2, #10: Motor Neuron Disorders](https://thisisnotthat.com/motor-neuron-disorders/): In the tenth episode of the second Charlie Rose Brain Series, Charlie and co-host Dr. Eric Kandel discuss the two major motor neuron disorders, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s disease) and Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA). They welcomed scientists and physicians Dr. Richard Finkel of Nemours Children’s Hospital and Neil Shneider of Columbia University, and affected patients Peter Frates (ALS), Griffen Kingkiner (SMA), and Griffen’s mother Beth Kingkiner. This episode aired July 20, 2012. The three clips below include the opening overview by Charlie and Dr. Kandel, followed by an overview of ALS by Dr. Shneider and then an ... Read more
- [C. Rose Brain Series 2, #9: Multiple Sclerosis (MS)](https://thisisnotthat.com/multiple-sclerosis/): The ninth episode of the second Charlie Rose Brain Series concerns the neurological and physiological dimensions of multiple sclerosis (MS). Charlie and co-host Eric Kandel welcomed panelists Alfred Sandrock of Biogen Idec, Amit Bar-Or of McGill University, Andrea Kilpatrick, Founder and President of Cool Kids Learn and Stephen L. Hauser of the University of California, San Francisco. This episode aired July 6, 2012. The excerpt below includes the opening overview, followed by a discussion of why women are more prone to MS and issues related to the future of treating and preventing the disease. Multiple Sclerosis Overview (12:03)
- [C. Rose Brain Series 2, #8: Parkinson's and Huntington's Diseases](https://thisisnotthat.com/parkinsons-huntingtons/): In the eighth episode of the second series of the Charlie Rose Brain Series, Charlie and co-host Dr. Eric Kandel discuss the neurological diseases related to movement, Parkinson’s and Huntington’s Diseases. They welcomed panelists Stanley Fahn of Columbia University, Allen Goorin of Harvard University, Anne B. Young of Harvard University, Stanley B. Prusiner of University of California, and former race car driver Sam Posey. This episode aired June 15, 2012. The first excerpt includes the opening overview. The second excerpt is Nobel Laureate Dr. Stanley B. Prusiner discussing how abnormal protein behavior is thought to cause these diseases. He gives ... Read more
- [C. Rose Brain Series 2, #7: Depression](https://thisisnotthat.com/c-rose-brain-depression/): For the seventh episode in the second series of the Charlie Rose Brain Series, Charlie and co-host Dr. Eric Kandel welcomed panelists Peter Whybrow of UCLA, author Andrew Solomon, Frederick Goodwin of George Washington University and Helen Mayberg of Emory University. This episode aired May 29, 2012. These two clips provide some highlights. The first is Eric Kandel’s opening overview. The second addresses these questions and topics: How many types of depression are there? What role do genetics play? What is the neurobiology of depression? How do neural circuits affect depression? What is the trajectory and velocity of neural research ... Read more
- [C. Rose Brain Series 2, #6: Autism](https://thisisnotthat.com/cr-brain-autism/): The sixth episode of the second phase of the Charlie Rose Brain Series aired May 11, 2012, and addressed the topic of autism. Charlie and co-host Eric Kandel welcomed as panelists: Gerald Fischbach of The Simons Foundation, Uta Frith of University College London, Matthew State of Yale University, and Alison Singer of the Autism Science Foundation. The introduction by Charlie and overviews by Eric Kandel and Gerald Fischbach are included in the clip below. I believe they provide a straightforward, concise, and understandable overview of the history and current knowledge about the spectrum of autistic syndrome. (11:28)
- [C. Rose Brain Series 2, #5: Schizophrenia](https://thisisnotthat.com/cr-brain-schizophrenia/): The fifth episode of the second phase of the Charlie Rose Brain Series aired March 30, 2012, and addressed the topic of schizophrenia. Charlie and co-host Eric Kandel welcomed as panelists Danny Hurley, Steven M. Paul of Weill Cornell Medical College, Cornelia Bargmann of Rockefeller University, Judith Rapoport of The National Institute of Mental Health, David A. Lewis of University of Pittsburgh. The introduction by Charlie and overview by Eric Kandel are included in the clip below, as well as the wrap-up responses to Charlie’s question to each panelist regarding what question they would most like to have answered. (12:19)
- [C. Rose Brain Series 2, Special Report](https://thisisnotthat.com/c-rose-brain-series-2-special-report/): In this special segment of the second Charlie Rose Brain Series, Charlie interviews Dr. Richard Davidson and journalist Sharon Begley on their book, The Emotional Life of Your Brain: How its unique patterns affect the way you think, feel, and live – And how you can change them This 11-minute segment aired on March 12, 2012.
- [C. Rose Brain Series 2, #4: Cognitive Defects](https://thisisnotthat.com/cr-brain-defects/): The fourth episode of the second phase of the Charlie Rose Brain Series aired February 23, 2012, and addressed the topic of defects in cognition, such as Alzheimber’s. Charlie and co-host Eric Kandel welcomed as panelists David Holtzman, Alison Goate, Bruce Miller, and Marc Tessier-Lavigne. Prior to this show, Charlie interview Scott Small on his recent laboratory discovery about the path by which Alzheimer’s spreads in the brain. My selected highlights are excerpted below. (9:40)
- [C. Rose Brain Series 2, #3: Agnosias](https://thisisnotthat.com/cr-brain-agnosias/): The third episode of the second phase of the Charlie Rose Brain Series aired January 20, 2012, and addressed the topic of agnosias. Charlie and co-host Eric Kandel welcomed as panelists John Brust, Chuck Close, Richard Frackowiak, and Masud Husain. My selected highlights are excerpted below.
- [C. Rose Brain Series 2, #2: Consciousness](https://thisisnotthat.com/cr-brain-consciousness/): The second episode of the second phase of the Charlie Rose Brain Series aired December 5, 2011, and addressed the topic of consciousness. Charlie and co-host Eric Kandel welcomed as panelists Patricia Churchland, Stanislas Dehaene, Nicholas Schiff, and Timothy Wilson. My selected highlights are excerpted below. (16:28)
- [C. Rose Brain Series 2, #1: Disorders](https://thisisnotthat.com/cr-brain-disorders/): The first episode of the second series of the Charlie Rose Brain Series aired November 3, 2011, and addressed the topic of mental disorders including addiction. Charlie and co-host Eric Kandel welcomed Cornelia Bargmann, Gerald Fischbach, Thomas Insel, and Nora Volkow. My selected highlights are excerpted below. (8:35) 
- [Santa Fe New Mexican Special Insert](https://thisisnotthat.com/santa-fe-new-mexican-special-insert/): At the conclusion of a summer strike in 2011, the New Mexico nurses union (District 1199NM, National Union of Hospital and Health Care Employees) paid for an 8-page insert to the Santa Fe New Mexican newspaper. The full 8-page insert is here as a pdf. I was mentioned on Page 3 of the insert.
- [Implications of Neuroscience for Education (video)](https://thisisnotthat.com/neuroscience-video/): I prepared the following video, “What Difference Does It Make?” for an introductory neuroscience class, Biological Bases of Behavior. The textbook is the 1,300-page Principles of Neural Science by Kandel, Schwartz, and Jessell. My intention was to highlight seven points, or findings, from neuroscience that have implications for educational theory/practice. These findings include: One difference between humans and other species is the capability for abstract thought. As described by Daniel Povinelli, “we invent the unobservable (god, ghosts, gravity) in order to explain the observable.” Other species don’t do that. “Learning” literally changes the brain, and brains are continuously “learning,” or ... Read more
- [Implications of Neuroscience for Education](https://thisisnotthat.com/implications-of-neuroscience/): What Difference Does it Make? Implications of Neuroscience for Education May 2011. The accompanying video presentation is available here. When I applied to the Educational Psychology graduate program last year, I explained that my academic interests were focused on the question, “Are educational practices consistent with cross-disciplinary knowledge?” As I progressed through the program curriculum, I narrowed the scope of my “cross-disciplinary” objective to consider how the latest findings in neuroscience might inform educational theory and practice. The purpose of this paper is to provide an initial report regarding: 1) underlying attitudes or premises about how we think about the ... Read more
- [Sleights of Mind Book Signing](https://thisisnotthat.com/sleights-of-mind/): Yesterday (February 23, 2011) I attended the book signing and presentation by the authors of Sleights of Mind: What the Neuroscience of Magic Reveals About Our Everyday Deceptions — Stephen L. Macknik and Susana Martinez-Conde with Sandra Blakeslee. Stephen and Susana have previously publishes articles on the subject of magic and neuroscience in Scientific American andan excerpt from the book appeared in last November’s Scientific American Mind. Their work was featured earlier this month on PBS’s NOVA Science Now with Neil deGrasse Tyson. The website for the book is www.sleightsofmind.com. Sandra is co-host of the Santa Fe Science Writing Workshop ... Read more
- [C. Rose Brain Series #12: Creativity](https://thisisnotthat.com/brain-series-12-creativity/): The twelfth and final episode of the Charlie Rose Brain Series aired October 29, focusing on the topic of creativity. Charlie and co-host Eric Kandel welcomed the sculptor Richard Serra, artist Chuck Close, neurologist and author Oliver Sacks, and Ann Temkin, curator of the painting and sculpture at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. Charlie concluded the episode by asking, “what’s the takeaway here about creativity?” I found these remarks insightful. Ann Temkin: The takeaway is, for me, there’s a lot we can know by circumstance, behavior, psychology and so on, but way, way more we can’t ... Read more
- [C. Rose Brain Series #11: The Deciding Brain](https://thisisnotthat.com/brain-series-11-deciding-brain/): The next-to-last of 12 episodes in this special brain series aired September 30, 2010, and concerned The Deciding Brain. Charlie and Eric Kandel welcomed: William Newsome studies decision-making on the cellular level by exploring the neural processes that mediate visual perception. He is a professor in the Department of Neurobiology at Stanford University and a Howard Hughes medical investigator. Tony Movshon studies the brain’s system that controls the simplest form of decision-making — perception. He is a professor of neuroscience and psychology at New York University. Ray Dolan studies how emotion and cognition interact to produce a decision. He is ... Read more
- [C. Rose Brain Series #10: The Disordered Brain](https://thisisnotthat.com/brain-series-10-disordered-brain/): Episode 10 of the Charlie Rose Brain Series focused on the disordered brain, with discussions about neurological disorders such as Parkinson’s disease, stroke, Huntington’s disease, and spinal cord injury. With series co-host Eric Kandel, the panel included: (from the available transcript) John Donoghue’s work allowed paralyzed patients to move and communicate using only their thoughts and a machine called a brain-computer interface. He is a professor at Brown University and the cofounder of a company called Cybernetics. John Krakauer explores how the brain controls movement and how movement is recovered following a stroke. He is an associate professor of neurology ... Read more
- [C. Rose Brain Series #9: Mental Illnesses](https://thisisnotthat.com/brain-series-9-mental-illnesses/): Episode 9 of the Charlie Rose Brain Series focused on major brain/mental illnesses such as depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia. With series co-host Eric Kandel, their panel includes two experts who are also patients: (from the available transcript) Kay Redfield Jamison is a world renowned authority on bipolar disorder, a disease she has struggled with throughout her adulthood. She is a professor at Johns Hopkins University and co-director of Johns Hopkins Mood Disorder Center. Elyn Saks was diagnosed with schizophrenia as a young woman. After keeping the disease private for most of her adult life, she publicly revealed her illness ... Read more
- [C. Rose Brain Series #8: Negative Emotions](https://thisisnotthat.com/brain-series-8-negative-emotions/): “Negative Emotions” is the topic for the 8th in the series, focusing on fear, anxiety, and aggression. With his co-host Eric Kandel, Charlie welcomes the panel: Antonio Damasio’s work has helped us understand emotion, decision making, social behavior, and even consciousness. He is the Dornsife Professor of neuroscience at the University of Southern California and the director of the Brain and Creativity Institute. He’s also the author of several books, including “Descartes’ Error” and “Looking for Spinoza.” Joseph LeDoux revolutionized his field in the 1970s by showing that emotions could be studied in animals. He’s a university professor at New ... Read more
- [C. Rose Brain Series #7: The Emotional Brain](https://thisisnotthat.com/brain-series-7-emotional-brain/): Episode #7 of the special 12-part series on the brain aired on April 21, 2010. To discuss “the emotional brain” with focus on pleasure and addiction, Charlie and co-host Eric Kandel welcomed their panel: Daniel Salzman studies how the brain assigns an emotional value to the information that it receives from the five senses. He is an assistant professor of psychiatry and neuroscience at Columbia University. Wolfram Schultz studies how the brain’s reward systems affect decision making and learning. He is a professor of neuroscience at Cambridge University and a fellow of the Royal Society. Nora Volkow’s research into addiction ... Read more
- [C. Rose Brain Series #6: The Aging Brain](https://thisisnotthat.com/brain-series-6-aging-brain/): Episode 6 of the Charlie Rose Brain Series aired March 25. Charlie and his co-host, Nobel Laureate Eric Kandel, addressed “The Aging Brain” with their distinguished panel: (from the available transcript) Brenda Milner is one of the pioneers in this field. Her experiments in the 1950s formed the basis for the modern theory of memory. She is the Dorothy J. Killam Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience at the Montreal Neurological Institute, and a professor in the department of Neurology and Neuro-surgery at McGill University. Larry Squire has shown us that not all memories are the same. In the 1980s he began ... Read more
- [C. Rose Brain Series #5: The Developing Brain](https://thisisnotthat.com/brain-series-5-developing-brain/): The fifth of twelve episodes in the series on the brain aired on February 23. Charlie and co-host Dr. Eric Kandel welcomed a panel of experts to discuss “The Developing Brain”: Elizabeth Spelke, cognitive psychologist at Harvard and director of the laboratory for developmental studies; Patricia Kuhl, professor at the University of Washington, director of the Center for Brain and Learning Sciences, author of The Scientist in the Crib; Huda Zoghbi, director of the Jan and Dan Duncan Research Institute at Baylor Medical Center, and a Howard Hughes medical investigator; Stephen Warren, professor at Emory University in Atlanta, focusing on ... Read more
- [C. Rose Brain Series #4: The Social Brain](https://thisisnotthat.com/c-rose-brain-series-4-the-social-brain/): The fourth episode in the Charlie Rose Brain Series aired January 19, 2010. Watch the episode online, with full transcript: http://www.charlierose.com/watch/50028268 Featuring Charlie Rose with Nobel Laureate Eric Kandel. Panelists include: Cornelia Bargmann studies the genetic control of social behavior in simple animals such as worms and flies. She is also a professor at Rockefeller University. Kevin Pelphrey’s work uses brain imaging techniques to understand social perception and cognition. He is an associate professor of child psychiatry at Yale University. Giacomo Rizzolatti, in 1996, discovered a special group of cells known as mirror neurons. They are thought to play many ... Read more
- [C. Rose Brain Series #3: The Active Brain](https://thisisnotthat.com/brain-series-3-active-brain/): The third of the Charlie Rose 12-part monthly series on the human brain aired December 22nd. An excerpt (16:48, including the opening introduction) is included below. His guests for the third show, “The Active Brain,” included: Eric Kandel — co-host of the series, 2000 Nobel Laureate (Physiology/Biology), professor, Columbia University Physiology & Cellular Biophysics Daniel Wolpert — University of Cambridge John Krakauer — Columbia University Tom Jessell — Columbia University Robert Brown — Massachusetts General Hospital The snippets posted here reflect what I found especially meaningful to my interests. Among the highlights: The motor system in the human brain controls ... Read more
- [C. Rose Brain Series #2: Visual Perception](https://thisisnotthat.com/brain-series-2-perceiving-brain/): The second of the Charlie Rose 12-part monthly series on the human brain aired November 24th. His guests for the second show, “The Perceiving Brain – Sight and Visual Perception,” included: Eric Kandel — co-host of the series, 2000 Nobel Laureate (Physiology/Biology), professor, Columbia University Physiology & Cellular Biophysics Edward H. Adelson — John and Dorothy Wilson Professor of Vision Science at MIT Nancy Kanwisher — Professor in the McGovern Institute for Brain Research at MIT Anthony Movshon — Presidential Professor of Neural Science and Psychology at New York University and Adjunct Professor of Physiology and Neuroscience at New York ... Read more
- [C. Rose Brain Series #1: Great Mysteries of the Brain](https://thisisnotthat.com/brain-series-1/): In late October (2009), Charlie Rose began a 12-part series on the human brain. The second episode is scheduled for airing on PBS stations the week of November 24. According to www.charlierose.com, the topic will be: “The Perceiving Brain – Sight and Visual Perception.” His guests for the first show included: Eric Kandel — co-host of the series, 2000 Nobel Laureate (Physiology/Biology), professor, Columbia University Physiology & Cellular Biophysics Cornelia Bargmann — Torsten N. Wiesel Professor, The Rockefeller University Gerald Fischbach — executive vice president for Health and Biomedical Sciences and Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at the College ... Read more
- [Jeff Hawkins Lecture Videos](https://thisisnotthat.com/hawkins-videos/): Jeff Hawkins, author of On Intelligence with Sandra Blakeslee, presented the Oppenheimer lecture in Los Alamos, NM, on July 27, 2009. Watch the clips above, or you can read an edited transcripted here. Visit the J. Robert Oppenheimer Memorial Committee’s website, and Jeff Hawkins’ Numenta.com site. Some of the key points from Hawkins’ lecture: The relatively-large neocortex is the primary characteristic that makes humans unique from other species. Neurons, or nerve cells, form and structure spatial and temporal (sequenced, ordered) patterns that results in your sensory experiences. These experiences are based on your “model of the world” that your brain ... Read more
- [Jeff Hawkins Oppenheimer Lecture](https://thisisnotthat.com/hawkins-lecture/): Why can’t a computer be more like a brain? (July 27, 2009) Jeff Hawkins, author of On Intelligence with Sandra Blakeslee, presented the Oppenheimer lecture in Los Alamos, NM, on July 27, 2009. Read an edited transcript below, or watch clips from the lecture here. Visit the J. Robert Oppenheimer Memorial Committee’s website, and Jeff Hawkins’ Numenta.com site. Posted with permission of the J. Robert Oppenheimer Memorial Committee. First of all, I want to thank the J. Robert Oppenheimer Memorial Committee for inviting me, and Gar [Garrett Kenyon, Chair of the J. Robert Oppenheimer Memorial Committee], who invited me over ... Read more
- [Christof Koch](https://thisisnotthat.com/christof-koch/): These four demonstrations are excerpts from Christof Koch’s 2005 J. Robert Oppenheimer Memorial Lecture titled, “The Quest for Consciousness: A Neurobiological Approach.” (Also the name of his 2004 book.) The J. Robert Oppenheimer Memorial Lecture series is sponsored by the J. Robert Oppenheimer Memorial Committee. These clips illustrate, in Koch’s words: Conscious perception is, in a sense, a con job of the brain. It [our sense of perception] suggests there’s a stable world out there, and there’s a very simple relationship between what’s out there in the world and what’s inside our head. But in fact it’s a very complicated ... Read more
- [Student Reactions](https://thisisnotthat.com/student-reactions/): Following are end-of-semester comments written by students in my General Semantics for Mass Communications Practitioners class, 2005-2008. General semantics is by far the most relevant class I have taken toward my B.S. in Communication Studies. No other class has provoked the amount of interest and relevancy in the scope of human interaction, both interpersonally and worldly. Understanding abstraction and evaluation has been far more beneficial in comprehending human interaction than studying Maslow or Skinner. In a way, GS is a way of life. I realize now that there are so many things in general semantics that I can use on ... Read more
- [TCU, Fall 2008](https://thisisnotthat.com/tcu-fall-2008/): GS for Mass Communications Practitioners Catalog Description: The application of the principles of General Semantics — how language affects the communication process — to the practice of journalism, advertising, and public relations. Syllabus Overview General Semantics (GS) deals with how we perceive, construct, evaluate and then express  our life experiences through our language-behaviors. This course provides an introduction to the discipline, focusing on practical applications for mass communications professionals. Course Objectives Students will: Demonstrate a working knowledge of the basic terms, formulations, and system of General Semantics. Relate the principles of GS to their chosen professional fields. Apply the methods of GS ... Read more
- [GS Videos: Topical Excerpts](https://thisisnotthat.com/gs-videos-topical-excerpts/): These videos were created to illustrate specific topics covered in class. *Some content may be considered objectionable and inappropriate for younger viewers.* The Power (?) of Words (6:10) As of 14 Nov 2020, this video is temporarily unavailable due to webhost migration. Please check back soon. Winner or Loser? (3:30) As of 14 Nov 2020, this video is temporarily unavailable due to webhost migration. Please check back soon. Language, Symbols, and Meanings (10:30) As of 14 Nov 2020, this video is temporarily unavailable due to webhost migration. Please check back soon. Perspectives about Race (2:57) As of 14 Nov 2020, ... Read more
- [Review Videos for GS Class, Fall 2008](https://thisisnotthat.com/gs-videos-class-reviews/): These two videos were used as reviews throughout the fall 2008 semester for my GS classes at TCU in Fort Worth. Note that these were used to review material already presented and discussed in class. Some of the material goes by pretty quickly and some, without benefit of the original class, may be puzzling. *Some content may be considered objectionable and inappropriate for younger viewers.* Fall 2008 Semester, Review of Classes 1-8 (4:11) Fall 2008 Semester, Review of Classes 9-14 (4:30)
- [Write Like You Mean It: Writing that makes sense](https://thisisnotthat.com/write-like-you-mean-it/): Fall 2008 Some people have trouble expressing themselves in writing because they’re almost paralyzed by worries about grammar, syntax, rules, and what somebody else is going to think. Other people have no fear of writing, but they’re concerned that what they write actually makes sense. After all, the world hardly needs more well-written nonsense. How do you accomplish both? How can you determine if what you mean to say makes sense, and then how do you write what you mean? This course covers the basics of the popular course taught in the Schieffer School of Journalism, General Semantics for Mass ... Read more
- [TCU, Spring 2008](https://thisisnotthat.com/tcu-spring-2008/): GS for Mass Communications Practitioners Catalog Description: The application of the principles of General Semantics — how language affects the communication process — to the practice of journalism, advertising, and public relations. Syllabus Overview General Semantics (GS) deals with how we perceive, construct, evaluate and then express our life experiences through our language-behaviors. This course provides an introduction to the discipline, focusing on practical applications for mass communications professionals. Course Objectives Students will: Demonstrate a working knowledge of the basic terms, formulations, and system of General Semantics. Relate the principles of GS to their chosen professional fields. Apply the methods ... Read more
- [Semester Review Video, Spring 2008](https://thisisnotthat.com/semester-review-video-spring-2008/): This 31-minute video was compiled to serve as an entertaining, yet still relevant, review of the spring 2008 course I taught at TCU, “General Semantics for Mass Communications Practitioners.” It contains over 70 clips from 36 different sources, so it goes by pretty quickly. General themes addressed: Role that language, words, and other symbols play in how we perceive, evaluate and respond to life events Basic brain/neuroscience findings that relate to how perceptions and reactions can be conditioned by symbols How some behaviors lift us up, inspire you to “follow your bliss,” and create meaning in your life by taking ... Read more
- [Listening Exercise](https://thisisnotthat.com/listening-exercise/): What do you abstract from the following listening exercise? (5:20) [flowplayer src=’http://stevestockdale.com/video/listen-new.mp4′ width=580 height=436 splash=’splash-listen’]
- [A New Sort of Man: Balvant K. Parekh](https://thisisnotthat.com/a-new-sort-of-man/): (Published in ETC: A Review of General Semantics, Volume 65 No. 1, January 2008. Prepared for a presentation to the National Workshop on General Semantics, Vadodara, India.) Irving J. Lee related a conversation he had with Alfred Korzybski in which Lee asked, “Now, Alfred, you have been thinking about this stuff for a very long time. Can you tell me, in a nutshell, what are you trying to do? What is the objective of all this reading and studying and talking and sweating that you go through day after day, year after year? What are you after?” Korzybski replied to ... Read more
- [The Bridge at Neverwas](https://thisisnotthat.com/bridge-at-neverwas/): (Published in ETC: A Review of General Semantics, Volume 65 No. 1, January 2008. Prepared for a presentation to the National Workshop on General Semantics, Vadodara, India.) Once upon a time there was a beautiful land known as Neverwas. The people who settled in Neverwas loved it, for it provided everything they needed to live and prosper. There were fertile fields for farming, mountains for mining and timber, and a broad river with crystal clear water that ran through the land. To the west, on the other side of the mountains, a natural harbor invited access to the vast ocean. ... Read more
- [Images of India](https://thisisnotthat.com/images-of-india/): Thanks to the beneficence of Mr. B.K. Parekh, Andrea Johnson and I spent 18 days in and around Mumbai, India, in the fall of 2007. (5:06) Namaste. As of 14 Nov 2020, this video is temporarily unavailable due to webhost migration. Please check back soon.
- [India: Think Before You Speak](https://thisisnotthat.com/india-think-before-you-speak/): As printed in the 20 November 2007 edition of DNA (Daily News & Analysis), Mumbai edition. By Prachi Rege Our assumptions could lead to major communication problems. Prachi Rege attends a seminar on General Semantics — a theory that makes us aware of our behaviour thereby setting a base for effective communication. The daily experiences that you undergo do not or rather cannot include everything under the sun. It is because of this limitation in human beings that we tend to take situations in our life for granted. A recent seminar on General Semantics held at the SP Jain Institute ... Read more
- [Cognitive Language Skills for the 21st Century](https://thisisnotthat.com/cognitive-language-skills/): This is the program brochure published by the Centre for Contemporary Theory in Baroda (Vadodara), India, in advance of the National Workshop in General Semantics, November 2007. More information about the 3-week lecture visit to India.
- [India: National Workshop](https://thisisnotthat.com/india-national-workshop/): Reprinted with permission from: Centre for Contemporary Theory, Vadodara, Gujarat, India            Twelfth National Workshop Cognitive Language Skills for the 21st Century 3rd – 5th November 2007 A Report One of the dominant concerns of contemporary social and political theory and one which has engaged if not captured the attention of theorizing since the beginning of the Enlightenment is the idea of human progress. Human progress, which may be broadly understood as such movement and advance which render the world more just, ethical and meaningful in the general analysis of those who construct or inhabit it, has ... Read more
- [India: National Workshop on General Semantics](https://thisisnotthat.com/india-national-workshop-on-general-semantics/): As printed in the 6 November 2007 edition of DIVYA BHASKAR DAILY, Gujarat, India. General Semantics is a topic somewhat unfamiliar to the common man, but it concerns something that plays a very significant role in our daily life. The twelfth National Workshop of the Forum for Contemporary Theory, titled “Cognitive Language Skills for Twenty First Century,” discussed extensively details of General Semantics. Dr. (sic) Andrea Johnson, President of the Institute of General Semantics, U.S.A., and Dr. (sic) Steven Stockdale, its Executive Director, conducted the workshop. This distinguished National Workshop was planned and organized by Mr. Balvant K. Parekh, Chairman ... Read more
- [Benham Disc](https://thisisnotthat.com/benham-disc/): Even with the reduced size and resolution of this short clip, you can probably see the intended effects. Watch the disc. Describe what you see … do you see shapes? Colors? As the rotation slows, do the shapes and colors change? How so? If others are watching at the same time … compare what you see with what they see. What does this do to the conventional wisdom that “seeing is believing”? Where do the “rings” and “colors” exist? (They’re ‘manufactured’ by your nervous system.) This suggests that “color is in the eye of the beholder.” What does this imply ... Read more
- [Count the Dots](https://thisisnotthat.com/count-the-dots/): For this exercise, all you have to do is count how many black dots you see. . . . . If you think you’ve experienced some kind of electronic perception manipulation, try printing the previous page, look at the graphic on paper, and see if you get similar results … What’s going on? David Hewson in Australia reported that this is referred to as “Hermann’s Grid” and is explained (somewhat) at: http://www.yorku.ca/research/vision/eye/hermann1.htm What’s the point? I would say this exercise illustrates the following: We can ‘see things’ that aren’t there. What we ‘see’ is not just a function of our ... Read more
- [Dimples or Bumps?](https://thisisnotthat.com/dimples-or-bumps/): This exercise simply asks you to look at this image. What do you see – 3 smaller dimples or bumps? What do you see – 1 larger dimple or bump? (A dimple appears to recede into the surface; a bump appears to protrude out of the surface.) After you’ve determined how many dimples and how many bumps you see, scroll down and look at the same image from a different perspective. . . . . . . . . Now how many dimples and how many bumps do you see? Now … what might this suggest about two different people ... Read more
- [Brochures, Collateral](https://thisisnotthat.com/brochures-collateral/): While Executive Director for the Institute of General Semantics (2004-2007), I was responsible for creating the following brochures, marketing, and promotional materials: General Information Brochure, Trade Show Booth Graphic, Capital Campaign Brochure, Conference Announcement, a promotional Bookmark, and my farewell video. General Information Brochure about the Institute Download the PDF Trade Show Booth Graphic This graphic was used for the 10-ft wide, 7-ft tall mylar backdrop display used in booths at trade shows and conferences. Capital Campaign Brochure Download the PDF International Conference Announcement Download the 3-page PDF for the 2006 “Making Sense” international conference announcement. Bookmark with Quotations “Work ... Read more
- [Review videos for GS Classes, 2006](https://thisisnotthat.com/gs-videos-created/): These videos were necessitated because of an inclement weather day that ended the Fall 2006 semester for my GS class at TCU in Fort Worth. Since there was no opportunity to make-up the review period prior to semester final exams, I made these quick videos and posted so the class could view them. Fall 2006 Semester Review, Part 1 of 3 (7:08) Fall 2006 Semester Review, Part 2 of 3 (13:23) Fall 2006 Semester Review, Part 3 of 3 (4:16)
- [A Critical Awareness and Self-Learning Program for AP English](https://thisisnotthat.com/ncte-ap-english/): This presentation was given at the National Council of Teachers of English annual convention in Nashville, TN, in November 2006.
- [Rock-Paper-Scissors: Words-Meanings-People](https://thisisnotthat.com/rock-paper-scissors/): This presentation was created for the 5th Annual Denton (TX) Area Conference of the Texas Association for the Improvement of Reading in Denton, TX, on September 23, 2006.
- [He takes little at face value](https://thisisnotthat.com/he-takes-little-at-face-value/): (Reprinted with permission of the author, DIANA KUNDE) Sun, Nov. 5, 2005 Special to the Dallas Morning News FORT WORTH—What do you answer when your toddler asks, “What’s this?” What’s likely to follow when a politician begins a sentence with: “The fact of the matter is … ?” And what do these questions have to do with one another? Welcome to the world of Steve Stockdale, executive director of the Institute of General Semantics. Mr. Stockdale, 52, became interested in general semantics in graduate school at Texas Christian University after graduating from the U.S. Air Force Academy. After a career ... Read more
- [Capitalizing on Career Chaos](https://thisisnotthat.com/capitalizing-on-career-chaos/): I contributed to the book by a mentor, Dr. Helen Harkness, Capitalizing on Career Chaos: Bringing Creativity and Purpose to Your Work and Life, (2005, Nicholas Brealey Publishing, ISBN 0-89106-209-2). Following are the excerpts that document my case study. Success Based on the Authentic Self (p. 41) Steve graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1976 and served in the air force as an instructor navigator in the KC-135 air refueling aircraft until 1982. Then he left the military and began a career in the defense industry. Although he put his generalist skills to good use with diverse responsibilities ... Read more
- [Time-binding Timeline Exercise](https://thisisnotthat.com/time-binding-timeline-exercise/): Time-binding refers to the unique human capability to improve and progress over time through the use of symbols, language, etc. Because of books, diagrams, blueprints, plans, music, art, etc., each generation can build on the accumulated knowledge developed/discovered by previous generations. The premise of this 3-step exercise is that the rate of human progress really began to take off in the 17th century with the widespread application of science, or a scientific approach. 1. Create lists Make a list of xx notable People, Periods, Events and Discoveries (inventions, achievements, etc.) you can think of. People Alexander Aristotle Attila the Hun ... Read more
- [Three Buckets Exercise](https://thisisnotthat.com/three-buckets-exercise/): The principles of “ThisIsNotThat” denote more than just theories or explanations about language — they also require practice, actual doing or behaving to get a non-verbal ‘feel’ for your evaluations. These exercises may enable you to become self-aware of your attitudes and behaviors, and possibly lead to changes in the way you evaluate and react to your environment. If you have access to three buckets or large bowls, water and five minutes, you can gain some insights to the relative nature of your conditioning by doing this exercise. Put cold water in one bucket, or bowl, placed to your left, ... Read more
- [Uncritical Inference Test](https://thisisnotthat.com/uncritical-inference-test/): This uncrticial inference test is based on the work of William V. Haney. Carefully read the brief story which follows. Assume that all of the information presented in the story is definitely accurate and true. Next, read the statements following the story. If the statement is definitely true based on the information presented in the story, check the TRUE column. If the statement is definitely false based on the information presented, mark it FALSE. If the true or false answer cannot be determined based on the information presented, check NOT SURE. You may refer back to the story whenever you ... Read more
- [Bourland and Morain on Alfred Korzybski](https://thisisnotthat.com/bourland-and-morain-korzybski/): This post includes four video recollections of Alfred Korzybski: a three-part interview with D. David Bourland, Jr., and a later interview with Lloyd Morain. D. David Bourland, Jr. Steve Stockdale sat down with David Bourland at his home in Wichita Falls, TX, on May 26, 1997, to record his recollections about Alfred Korzybski and general semantics. As a 19-yr old, David lived and worked at the Institute of General in Lime Rock, CT, with Korzybski, M. Kendig, and Charlotte Read, for a year. During that year, he noted that Korzybski would often warn against the problems inherent in the English ... Read more
- [Recollections of Alfred Korzybski](https://thisisnotthat.com/recollections-of-korzybski/): This video slider includes four interviews recorded by Charles Stade in the late 1980s. Posted here with Mr. Stade’s permission, they include: Ernie Klemme (16:14) Bernie Chalip (18:19) Dr. Bill Pemberton (18:19) S.I. Hayakawa (12:28) [metaslider id=”5164″]
- [A Tutorial](https://thisisnotthat.com/a-tutorial/): How well do you integrate … what goes in ‘here’ with what goes on ‘out there’? When we talk about wanting to become better critical thinkers, or more discriminating individuals, or simply more sane human beings, what we’re talking about concerns questions such as: How well do we ‘interface’ with the world around us? How appropriately do we interpret what goes on outside our skin? How appropriately do we interpret what goes on inside our skin? Do we purposely and consistently apply what we ‘know’ about what goes on ‘out there’? Do we purposely and consistently apply what we ‘know’ ... Read more
- [Avoiding dating disasters](https://thisisnotthat.com/avoiding-dating-disasters/): (Reprinted with permission of the Dallas Morning News) Expert advises altering expectations as people seek new relationships Monday, December 29, 2003 By ALINE McKENZIE / The Dallas Morning News [Disclaimer: I’ve never used the word “expert” to refer to myself about anything. Not seriously. The background for this story is that Aline read the catalog description of the course and decided to enroll herself. Prior to the first class she introduced herself as a reporter from the Dallas Morning News.] As a divorcé, Steve Stockdale has a lot of experience with midlife dating. But he’s also a student of how ... Read more
- [Brimming with knowledge](https://thisisnotthat.com/brimming-with-knowledge/): From the July 18, 2003 print edition of the Dallas Business Journal Mike Whiteley Tarrant/Denton editor When 16-year-old honors student Taylor Hess got expelled for carrying a bread knife onto the campus of L.D. Bell High School in the bed of his pickup, school officials drew more than the ire of stunned students and parents in Hurst-Euless-Bedford. Cleared by the district after disclosure the knife had fallen from a box he was hauling to Goodwill Industries, Hess also became the latest poster boy for a 65-year-old, low-profile enclave for some of the world’s greatest scientists and wordsmiths. Now the Institute ... Read more
- [Chanticleer Calls Index](https://thisisnotthat.com/chanticleer-calls-index/): INDEX OF CHANTICLEER CALLS TOPICS, 1999-2003 Mar 24, 2003 (#34) Frying Spam “Honey, which channel is the war on? Installing Democracy (Version 2.x) Perspicuous Perspective Ensuring Everlasting Life (at least among the living) General Semantics Miscellany One Moyer Thing … Dec 23, 2002 (#33) NOT FOR SALE Nov 19, 2002 (#32) CLARIFICATION: The Role of “Rolls” COLLOQUIUM REPORT: The Role of Roles (Dr. Albert Ellis and the Levinson’s) LITTLE ROCK, LITTLE MINDS (5 Rolls!) A WORD ABOUT GENERAL SEMANTICS: Identification A POLITICAL PARADOX PERSONAL UPDATE … Regarding those voting machine creatures SELF-CONFESSIONAL: My Roll of Roles COMPLETING THE HAND: A ... Read more
- [Chanticleer #34](https://thisisnotthat.com/chanticleer-34/): March 24, 2003 FRYING SPAM As one who receives more than his share of spam, and probably has less patience with it than most, I have decided to stop distributing Chanticleer Calls via email. Unsolicited email, or “spam,” passed my personal obnoxious threshold long ago. Recently, PC Magazine featured a cover story on it. PBS commentator Bob Cringely, a personal favorite read, has written on the subject for the past three weeks in his weekly online column. He relates that experts claim spam accounts for 35% of all email traffic. Other data points: He set up an email address on ... Read more
- [Chanticleer #33](https://thisisnotthat.com/chanticleer-33/): December 23, 2002 “NOT FOR SALE” PAMPA, Texas (February 1965) – I’m a 5th grader at Stephen F. Austin elementary school in Pampa. My daddy is the band director at Pampa High School. They just had two big concerts last month with a famous trumpet player from the “Tonight Show” on TV. His nickname is “Doc” but his real name is Carl Severinsen. He’s a professional trumpet player, which means he gets paid for playing. The concerts were really good – for band music – and so they decided to make a record. I got into records last year when ... Read more
- [Chanticleer Calls #32](https://thisisnotthat.com/chanticleer-calls-32/): November 19, 2002 CLARIFICATION: The Role of “Rolls” Last month’s Chanticleer Calls introduced a new ‘award’ program in which I recognized outstanding achievements in generating, or perpetuating, crap. (This initiative was initiated after I came across an anecdote in which Ernest Hemingway reportedly stated that the one essential ingredient for someone to become a “great writer” is to have a “built-in, shockproof crap detector.”) Therefore I ‘awarded’ Rolls to individuals on a scale of 1 to 5, depending on my own personal evaluation of the degree of detectable crap that the awardee’s actions or statements yielded. Now, it was brought ... Read more
- [Chanticleer #31](https://thisisnotthat.com/chanticleer-31/): October 8, 2002 “Chanticleer Calls”, an aperiodic newsletter for discriminating readers, thinkers, feelers, speakers, listeners, and cogitators. HEMINGWAY ON GREAT WRITERS AND CRAP DETECTORS In the course of preparing five presentations over the past month, I came across an interesting anecdote in the book, Teaching as a Subversive Activity, written by Neil Postman and Charles Weingartner: In the early 1960s, an interviewer was trying to get Ernest Hemingway to identify the characteristics required for a person to be a “great writer.” As the interviewer offered a list of various possibilities, Hemingway disparaged each in sequence. Finally, frustrated, the interviewer asked, ... Read more
- [Chanticleer #30](https://thisisnotthat.com/chanticleer-30/): I do not propose to write an ode to dejection, but to brag as lustily as chanticleer in the morning, standing on his roost, if only to wake my neighbors up.  Henry David Thoreau September 4, 2002 “Chanticleer Calls”, an aperiodic newsletter for discriminating readers, thinkers, feelers, speakers, listeners, and cogitators. GENERAL SEMANTICS IN THE FORT WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM The “chance encounter” recounted in last month’s CCalls did indeed bear fruit in the form of a nice, 500-word article about the DFW Center for General Semantics in the August 13th Fort Worth Star-Telegram. If you somehow escaped or dodged the avalanche ... Read more
- [It's a study of our lives (in so many words)](https://thisisnotthat.com/its-a-study-of-our-lives-in-so-many-words/): (Reprinted with permission of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram)Posted on Tue, Aug. 13, 2002By PAUL BOURGEOIS Star-Telegram Staff Writer FORT WORTH – Our language affects our behavior, and our behavior affects our language. That is the very basic idea behind the Center for General Semantics, a new resource in downtown Fort Worth. The center includes the library and archives of the Institute for General Semantics, a 60-year-old organization based in Brooklyn, N.Y. Semantics is the science of how and why words mean what they do, and general semantics goes a step further, said Steve Stockdale, 48, director of the center at ... Read more
- [Chanticleer #29](https://thisisnotthat.com/chanticleer-29/): I do not propose to write an ode to dejection, but to brag as lustily as chanticleer in the morning, standing on his roost, if only to wake my neighbors up.  Henry David Thoreau August 5, 2002 “Chanticleer Calls”, an aperiodic newsletter for discriminating readers, thinkers, feelers, speakers, listeners, and cogitators. THE DFW CENTER FOR GENERAL SEMANTICS I’m pleased to say that The Dallas-Fort Worth Center for General Semantics is now open for business. Established in January as nothing more than a website and a desk, “The Center” now occupies over 800 square feet of comfortable office facilities a short ... Read more
- [Chanticleer #28](https://thisisnotthat.com/chanticleer-28/): I do not propose to write an ode to dejection, but to brag as lustily as chanticleer in the morning, standing on his roost, if only to wake my neighbors up.  Henry David Thoreau June 1, 2001 “Chanticleer Calls”, an aperiodic newsletter for discriminating readers, thinkers, feelers, speakers, listeners, and cogitators. Graduation My daughter graduated from high school last week. We had about a dozen family members and her boyfriend attend, and of course we wanted to sit together for the 10:00am ceremonies at the Tarrant County Convention Center. When they opened the doors at 9:00am, I joined the small-sized ... Read more
- [Chanticleer Calls #27](https://thisisnotthat.com/chanticleer-calls-27/): I do not propose to write an ode to dejection, but to brag as lustily as chanticleer in the morning, standing on his roost, if only to wake my neighbors up.  Henry David Thoreau April 24, 2001 “Chanticleer Calls”, an aperiodic newsletter for discriminating readers, thinkers, feelers, speakers, listeners, and cogitators. Cut the crap, choose the cheese My friend LB lent me a book a few weeks ago, thinking that the topic was germane for someone in my situation who’s just quit the corporate world. I’m typically not real high on “popular” self-help books, but since it only took about ... Read more
- [Chanticleer #26](https://thisisnotthat.com/chanticleer-26/): I do not propose to write an ode to dejection, but to brag as lustily as chanticleer in the morning, standing on his roost, if only to wake my neighbors up.  Henry David Thoreau March 26, 2001 “Chanticleer Calls”, a whenever-I-get-around-to-it newsletter for discriminating readers, thinkers, feelers, speakers, listeners, and cogitators. SEEING “The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.” – Marcel Proust “A person does what he does because he sees the world as he sees it. – Alfred Korzybski “We see the world as ‘we’ are, not as ‘it’ is; ... Read more
- [Chanticleer #25](https://thisisnotthat.com/chanticleer-25/): I do not propose to write an ode to dejection, but to brag as lustily as chanticleer in the morning, standing on his roost, if only to wake my neighbors up.  Henry David Thoreau February 25, 2001 “Chanticleer Calls”, a whenever-I-get-around-to-it newsletter for discriminating readers, thinkers, feelers, speakers, listeners, and cogitators. IRONY RULES In case you missed it, the 43rd Annual Grammy Awards show was broadcast on February 21st. My daughter came over to watch it with me, and it provided a good opportunity for inter-generational communication. I had the chance to explain Steely Dan to her, and she tried ... Read more
- [Chanticleer #24](https://thisisnotthat.com/chanticleer-24/): I do not propose to write an ode to dejection, but to brag as lustily as chanticleer in the morning, standing on his roost, if only to wake my neighbors up.  Henry David Thoreau February 1, 2001 “Chanticleer Calls”, an aperiodic newsletter for discriminating readers, thinkers, feelers, speakers, listeners, and cogitators. UPDATE ON RE-STRIPING From the September 17, 2000 files … I commented on the Texas Department of Transportation’s approval of a $134,000 re-striping project to add an additional exit lane from Woodall-Rogers Freeway around downtown Dallas onto US 75 North Central Expressway. The project was to take six weeks. ... Read more
- [Chanticleer #23](https://thisisnotthat.com/chanticleer-23/): I do not propose to write an ode to dejection, but to brag as lustily as chanticleer in the morning, standing on his roost, if only to wake my neighbors up.  Henry David Thoreau January 1, 2001 “Chanticleer Calls”, a twice-monthly newsletter for discriminating readers, thinkers, feelers, speakers, listeners, and cogitators. First, an explanation for Chanticleer’s second extended absence of the year. He’s found a rather intoxicatingly addictive sandbox to scratch in that has consumed most of his preceding two months. WHAT I’VE LEARNED As we begin the year of HAL, I thought it would be worthwhile for me personally ... Read more
- [Chanticleer #22](https://thisisnotthat.com/chanticleer-22/): I do not propose to write an ode to dejection, but to brag as lustily as chanticleer in the morning, standing on his roost, if only to wake my neighbors up.  Henry David Thoreau November 8, 2000 “TOO CLOSE TO CALL” A few “morning-after” (or “morning-during”?) observations: While watching the election commentaries last night, I found it interesting how many talking heads would talk in terms of the presidential race being “too close to call” …. and then attempt to call it. I say if it’s “too close to call” … DON’T! This morning I saw a tape of Bush ... Read more
- [Chanticleer #21](https://thisisnotthat.com/chanticleer-21/): I do not propose to write an ode to dejection, but to brag as lustily as chanticleer in the morning, standing on his roost, if only to wake my neighbors up.  Henry David Thoreau October 22, 2000 Idiot, Idiot, Who’s the Idiot? What do you make of this Letter to the Editor, printed in the Dallas Morning News (DMN) October 6, 2000? Prank is idiocy On the night of Sept. 27, while driving through a large apartment complex parking lot, I drove past a vehicle which appeared to have a human body stuffed into the trunk, with limbs dangling from ... Read more
- [Chanticleer #20](https://thisisnotthat.com/chanticleer-20/): I do not propose to write an ode to dejection, but to brag as lustily as chanticleer in the morning, standing on his roost, if only to wake my neighbors up.  Henry David Thoreau October 8, 2000 Restriping North Central From the Sep 17th Dallas Morning News (DMN) … The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) announced a restriping project that will add an additional exit lane from north-bound Woodall Rogers freeway to north-bound North Central Expressway on the west side of downtown Dallas. As I take this exit every day to my current place of employment, this is good news ... Read more
- [How to size your thinking box](https://thisisnotthat.com/how-to-size-your-thinking-box/): (Speaking Notes presented to the monthly luncheon of the National Management Association, Rockwell Collins Chapter, Richardson, TX (September 2000) In the mid-80s, I clipped a Gary Larsen “Far Side” cartoon that, at the time, reflected my disenchantment with my then-current management. The cartoon depicted a dinosaur addressing an auditorium of other dinosaurs: “The picture’s pretty bleak, gentlemen … the world’s climates are changing, the mammals are taking over, and we all have a brain about the size of a walnut.” Over the years, the significance I draw from the humor has changed from an expression of frustration with managers to ... Read more
- [Chanticleer #19](https://thisisnotthat.com/chanticleer-19/): I do not propose to write an ode to dejection, but to brag as lustily as chanticleer in the morning, standing on his roost, if only to wake my neighbors up.  Henry David Thoreau August 27, 2000 Those of you astute readers with a sense of the monthly calendar realize that you’ve flipped pages twice now since Chanticleer last crowed your way. He has no valid reason for the unplanned hiatus so he will offer no excuses. However, he would like to relate a few experiences experienced and thoughts thought from the past two months. Israel I spent a week ... Read more
- [Chanticleer #18](https://thisisnotthat.com/chanticleer-18/): I do not propose to write an ode to dejection, but to brag as lustily as chanticleer in the morning, standing on his roost, if only to wake my neighbors up.  Henry David Thoreau June 18, 2000 Learning and Knowing is NOT Doing As an athlete growing up, I ‘learned’ the importance of warming-up and stretching (not to even mention “staying in shape”). I ‘know’ that, especially as one’s calendar collection grows, one has to take even greater care to make sure that one adequately warms-up and stretches before engaging in any kind of exercise. I learned that. I know ... Read more
- [Chanticleer #17](https://thisisnotthat.com/chanticleer-17/): I do not propose to write an ode to dejection, but to brag as lustily as chanticleer in the morning, standing on his roost, if only to wake my neighbors up.  Henry David Thoreau June 5, 2000 Chanticleer sticks his neck out to say a few words on the subject of “protection”. My daughter and her friend did some yard work for me last week. They remembered to apply sun screen on their faces, but unfortunately, forgot about protecting their backs. A few hours later, and for several days afterward, they painfully remembered. Using sunscreen, or clothing, or a hat, ... Read more
- [Chanticleer #16](https://thisisnotthat.com/chanticleer-16/): I do not propose to write an ode to dejection, but to brag as lustily as chanticleer in the morning, standing on his roost, if only to wake my neighbors up.  Henry David Thoreau May 14, 2000 Perspectives from a Parfait Sunset A few weeks ago I took an evening flight to Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Flying due north, seated in the left window seat, I noticed an unusual cloud formation. As much as I’ve flown – as both an Air Force navigator and a civilian business/vacation traveler – I’ve never looked down on a cloud formation that included such depth ... Read more
- [Chanticleer Calls #15](https://thisisnotthat.com/chanticleer-calls-15/): I do not propose to write an ode to dejection, but to brag as lustily as chanticleer in the morning, standing on his roost, if only to wake my neighbors up.  Henry David Thoreau April 21, 2000 A REMINDER: WHO AM I? WHAT AM I DOING HERE? In case you’ve never read the quote under the crowing rooster, let me call your attention to it anew: I do not propose to write an ode to dejection, but to brag as lustily as chanticleer in the morning, standing on his roost, if only to wake my neighbors up. Henry David Thoreau ... Read more
- [Chanticleer Calls #14](https://thisisnotthat.com/chanticleer-calls-14/): I do not propose to write an ode to dejection, but to brag as lustily as chanticleer in the morning, standing on his roost, if only to wake my neighbors up.  Henry David Thoreau April 6, 200 CROWING I’m pleased as the proverbial punch to tell you that ThisIsNotThat.com hits the “Big Time,” or at least the New York Times, this weekend. William Safire, well-known syndicated columnist, mentions my site and general semantics in his weekly column in the New York Times Sunday Magazine, April 9th. I should mention, however, that the mention does not necessarily result from an endorsement ... Read more
- [Chanticleer #13](https://thisisnotthat.com/chanticleer-13/): I do not propose to write an ode to dejection, but to brag as lustily as chanticleer in the morning, standing on his roost, if only to wake my neighbors up.  Henry David Thoreau March 6, 2000 “EVERYTHING”? The Texas Rangers baseball club just initiated its new marketing campaign to sell tickets. This year’s slogan: Attitude Is Everything Personally, I’d react more jazzed if they had selected: Pitching Is Everything. The old baseball adage still seems true – that “good pitching beats good hitting”. The new baseball adage, at least in the American League, might go: “Yankees Beat Any Attitude.” ... Read more
- [Chanticleer #12](https://thisisnotthat.com/chanticleer-12/): I do not propose to write an ode to dejection, but to brag as lustily as chanticleer in the morning, standing on his roost, if only to wake my neighbors up.  Henry David Thoreau February 17, 2000 GRASS ON CAMPUS Just when I began to doubt the value of a college education, I run across a small bit of Dallas Morning News that renews my faith in higher education. Fort Worth’s Texas Christian University (TCU) and Dallas’s Southern Methodist University (SMU) have a historical rivalry that reflects – or maybe contributes to – the competition between the two cities. The ... Read more
- [Chanticleer #11](https://thisisnotthat.com/chanticleer-11/): I do not propose to write an ode to dejection, but to brag as lustily as chanticleer in the morning, standing on his roost, if only to wake my neighbors up.  Henry David Thoreau February 2, 2000 GROUND HOG DAY, and Other misLeading Indicators Yes, I’m sure you’re aware that today is yet another “Groundhog Day.” In an unexpected, pleasant surprise, I scoured today’s Dallas Morning News and found nary a mention. However, the various TV outlets could not exercise such discretion. Once again, we got to see the good, yet exceedingly silly-appearing, citizens of Punxsutawney, PA, carry on this ... Read more
- [Chanticleer Calls #10](https://thisisnotthat.com/chanticleer-calls-10/): I do not propose to write an ode to dejection, but to brag as lustily as chanticleer in the morning, standing on his roost, if only to wake my neighbors up.  Henry David Thoreau January 21, 2000 BUSH LEAGUE WORDS Some of this was printed as a Letter to the Editor in the January 20, 2000, Dallas Morning News. The edited/deleted comments are in red. [2019 update: unfortunately the red color annotations have been digitally lost. Follows is what I wrote, not what was printed.] Title: Bush league When asked during the South Carolina primary about that state’s Confederate flag ... Read more

## Pages

- [Sample Page](https://thisisnotthat.com/sample-page/): This is an example page. It’s different from a blog post because it will stay in one place and will show up in your site navigation (in most themes). Most people start with an About page that introduces them to potential site visitors. It might say something like this: Hi there! I’m a bike messenger by day, aspiring actor by night, and this is my website. I live in Los Angeles, have a great dog named Jack, and I like piña coladas. (And gettin’ caught in the rain.) …or something like this: The XYZ Doohickey Company was founded in 1971, ... Read more
- [Welcome to SteveStockdale.com](https://thisisnotthat.com/welcome-to-stevestockdale-com/)
- [TINT Home](https://thisisnotthat.com/): Differences that make a difference This is not a pipe.You can’t eat the menu.I know I cannot paint a flower.What can be shown cannot be said.A symbol is not that which is symbolized.The stimulus is not the response.The map is not the territory.The word is not the thing.This is not That. A World View Or orientation, derived from premises that acknowledge the differences that make humans human: physiological, neurological, psychological, linguistic, behavioral. Toward an Informed World View. General Semantics How symbols and language define human capacities, and limitations, for experiencing, learning, and communicating with ourselves and others. Instructional and explanatory ... Read more
- [PBS Brain Series](https://thisisnotthat.com/pbs-brain-series/): Brain & Behavior The primary neuroscience resources on this site are summarized below. However, there are other sources throughout the Massive Open Online Course and General Semantics areas. From About Ourselves in the World:To varying degrees, we each have common human capabilities and limitations. We have imperfect sensing capabilities. We have nervous systems that can mislead and misinform us. We have physiological and neurological limitations. In this respect we are all “in the same boat,” but yet we are each uniquely-individual human beings with different-sized and types of paddles, so to speak. If we don’t acknowledge these differences in our ... Read more
- [Wendell Johnson on David Fairchild](https://thisisnotthat.com/david-fairchild/): Wendell Johnson on David Fairchild Wendell Johnson, for whom the Wendell Johnson Speech & Hearing Clinic at the University of Iowa is named, was one of the leading “1st generation” teachers of General Semantics from the 1940s into the 1960s. His People in Quandaries and Your Most Enchanted Listener are classics within the GS literature. In the fall of 1956, his introductory General Semantics course at the University of Iowa was broadcast over the campus radio. Most of his lectures were recorded from these live broadcasts. The following is an edited version of a rough transcript of the lecture in ... Read more
- [MOOC Index of Pages](https://thisisnotthat.com/mooc/mooc-index-of-pages/): MOOC Index of Pages Index of materials for the General Semantics: An Approach to Effective Language Behavior course on the Canvas Network (2014). All individual pages are linked, with major topic headings and sub-headings depicted below where applicable. Course-Level Pages About the CourseMOOC ExpectationsMOOC AssignmentsReferences and ResourcesOur First MOOC   Module 1: What is General Semantics? Led by Steve Stockdale Module Map, Objectives, Key TopicsDefining and Describing General SemanticsBasic Understandings of General Semantics— Time-binding— Scientific Approach— Abstracting and Evaluating— Verbal Awareness— Sensory Awareness Point of View Survey AK and General Semantics Korzybski’s Quest— What makes humans human?— What accounts for ... Read more
- [Living Extensionally Takes a Lifetime](https://thisisnotthat.com/mooc/6-review/living-extensionally-takes-a-lifetime/): Living Extensionally Takes a Lifetime Module 1 Pages Review and Reflection | Converging Competencies | Culture and the Individual |Suspended in Stereotypes | Living Extensionally | Course ConclusionAssignments, Discussions and Quizzes | References and Resources Authored by Mary Lahman, PhD Beginners often take upon themselves the task of enthusiastically spreading their new-found “wisdom” to family and friends. We suggest that, for best long-term results, you temper this response. —Susan & Bruce Kodish (2011, p. 200) At the end of a Language and Thought course, we often conclude that everyone needs to learn about general semantics. Once we recognize the allness language in that statement, we discuss ways ... Read more
- [Course Conclusion](https://thisisnotthat.com/mooc/6-review/course-conclusion/): Course Conclusion Module 6 Pages Review and Reflection | Converging Competencies | Culture and the Individual | Suspended in Stereotypes | Living Extensionally | Course Conclusion Assignments, Discussions and Quizzes | References and Resources Concluding Remarks — Mary Lahman Concluding Remarks — Greg Thompson Concluding Remarks — Steve Stockdale After You’ve Studied General Semantics Wendell Johnson The following handout was found in the archives of the Institute of General Semantics. It was probably a mailing sent to members prior to the publication of Johnson’s People in Quandaries in 1945 ( referenced as note 1). It was reprinted in ETC: A Review of General Semantics Volume 61 Number ... Read more
- [Culture and the Individual](https://thisisnotthat.com/mooc/6-review/culture-and-the-individual/): Culture and the Individual Module 1 Pages Review and Reflection | Converging Competencies | Culture and the Individual |Suspended in Stereotypes | Living Extensionally | Course ConclusionAssignments, Discussions and Quizzes | References and Resources Excerpt from “Culture and the Individual” by Aldous Huxley This is an excerpt from an article riginally published in Playboy Magazine, November 1963, as “A Philosopher’s Visionary Prediction,” one of three essays published together under the title, The Pros and Cons, History and Future Possibilities of Vision-Inducing Psychochemicals.Thanks to language and culture, human behavior can be incomparably more intelligent, more original, creative and flexible than the behavior of animals, whose brains are too ... Read more
- [Heinlein and Ellis](https://thisisnotthat.com/mooc/6-review/heinlein-and-ellis/): Heinlein and Ellis Module 1 Pages Review and Reflection | Converging Competencies | Culture and the Individual |Suspended in Stereotypes | Living Extensionally | Course ConclusionAssignments, Discussions and Quizzes | References and Resources Authored by Steve Stockdale Heinlein and Ellis: Converging Competencies Published in ETC: A Review of General Semantics Volume 64 No. 4, October 2007 On July 7, 2007, the Heinlein Centennial was held in Kansas City to celebrate what would have been the 100th birthday of acclaimed “Grand Master” science fiction author Robert A. Heinlein. Heinlein is generally acknowledged as one of the four great American science fiction writers, along with Isaac Asimov, Ray Bradbury, ... Read more
- [Suspended in Stereotypes](https://thisisnotthat.com/mooc/6-review/suspended-in-stereotypes/): Suspended in Stereotypes Module 1 Pages Review and Reflection | Converging Competencies | Culture and the Individual |Suspended in Stereotypes | Living Extensionally | Course ConclusionAssignments, Discussions and Quizzes | References and Resources Authored by Steve Stockdale Suspended in Stereotypes This essay was my contribution to: A. M. George and T. Thomason (Eds.), Race, gender and other stereotypes: A reader for professional communicators (pp. 7-13). San Diego: Cognella. ISBN 978-1-6092763-0-0. Niels Bohr, an icon of 20th-century physics, was also an astute observer of language and behavior. “Our task is to communicate experience and ideas to others” (Petersen, 1985, p. 301). “It is wrong to think that the ... Read more
- [Response Side Semantics](https://thisisnotthat.com/mooc/5-symrul/response-side-semantics/): Response Side Semantics Module 5 Pages Orientations, Evaluations | Theories of Evaluation | Symbol Rulers | Implications for Education | Response Side SemanticsAssignments, Discussions and Quizzes | References and Resources Authored by Steve Stockdale From the July 1, 2005, National Public Radio broadcast of The Diane Rehm Show: Diane: Here is an interesting email from Steve, who’s the Executive Director for the Institute of General Semantics. He says: “These kinds of panels invariably concentrate on the supply side of political talk — the spin, the propaganda, the doublespeak. Seldom does anybody bring up the listener’s or reader’s individual responsibility to critically, sometimes skeptically, evaluate the messages they hear ... Read more
- [Theories of Evaluation, Values, and Meanings](https://thisisnotthat.com/mooc/5-symrul/theories-of-evaluation-values-and-meanings/): Theories of Evaluation, Values, and Meanings Module 5 Pages Orientations, Evaluations | Theories of Evaluation | Symbol Rulers | Implications for Education | Response Side SemanticsAssignments, Discussions and Quizzes | References and Resources Authored by Steve Stockdale Next, we’re going to consider how our experiences, under the influences of our neuro-semantic and neuro-linguistic environment, can determine the evaluations, values and meanings we create from those experiences. “Theories” in General Semantics Throughout Korzybski’s writings, he refers to five “theories” related to General Semantics. We addressed time-binding in Module 1. We also mentioned that the title of the “source book” for General Semantics is Science and Sanity; that the methods ... Read more
- [Implications for Education](https://thisisnotthat.com/mooc/5-symrul/implications/): Implications for Education Module 5 Pages Orientations, Evaluations | Theories of Evaluation | Symbol Rulers | Implications for Education | Response Side SemanticsAssignments, Discussions and Quizzes | References and Resources Authored by Steve StockdaleI prepared this paper, and accompanying video presentation (below), for a graduate psychology course titled “Biological Basis of Behavior.” Our textbook for the 2011 course was Principles of Neural Science by Eric Kandel, James H. Schwartz, and Thomas M. Jessell. The 16-minute video follows below. When I applied to the Educational Psychology graduate program last year (2010), I explained that my academic interests were focused on the question, “Are educational practices consistent with cross-disciplinary knowledge?” ... Read more
- [Symbol Rulers](https://thisisnotthat.com/mooc/5-symrul/symbol-rulers/): Symbol Rulers Module 5 Pages Orientations, Evaluations | Theories of Evaluation | Symbol Rulers | Implications for Education | Response Side SemanticsAssignments, Discussions and Quizzes | References and Resources The affairs of man are conducted by our own, man-made rules and according to man-made theories. Man’s achievements rest upon the use of symbols. For this reason, we must consider ourselves as a symbolic, semantic class of life, and those who rule the symbols, rule us. (Korzybski, 1994, p. 76) [emphasis added] Authored by Steve Stockdale To revisit a slide from earlier in this module, consider how much of our neuro-semantic and neuro-linguistic environments involve various agents who are ... Read more
- [How Language Shapes Thought](https://thisisnotthat.com/mooc/4-lingrel/how-language-shapes-thought/): How Language Shapes Thought Module 4 Pages Linguistic Relativity | What We Do With Language | How Language Shapes Thought | Implications of Linguistic Relativity Assignments, Discussions and Quizzes | References and Resources We see and hear and otherwise experience very largely as we do because the language habits of our community predispose certain choices of interpretation. — Edward Sapir Authored by Greg Thompson, PhD Dr. Lera Boroditsky is now (2014) professor of psychology at the University of California, San Diego. She was at Stanford University in Palo Alto, California, in 2010 when she was invited to speak on “How Language Shapes Thought” for The Long Now Foundation. ... Read more
- [Implications of Linguistic Relativity](https://thisisnotthat.com/mooc/4-lingrel/implications-of-linguistic-relativity/): Implications of Linguistic Relativity Module 4 Pages Linguistic Relativity | What We Do With Language | How Language Shapes Thought | Implications of Linguistic RelativityAssignments, Discussions and Quizzes | References and Resources Implications of Linguistic (and cultural) Relativity – here and now Authored by Greg Thompson, PhD In addition to these implications for cultures around the globe, there are those who have begun to explore the role of relativity within our own culture. One standout in this regard is Carol Cohn’s study of defense intellectuals (click to download). Although she was generally opposed to many of the policies that emerged from the world of defense intellectuals, Cohn decided ... Read more
- [What We Do With Language - What It Does With Us](https://thisisnotthat.com/mooc/4-lingrel/what-we-do-with-language/): What We Do With Language – What It Does With Us Module 4 Pages Linguistic Relativity | What We Do With Language | How Language Shapes Thought | Implications of Linguistic RelativityAssignments, Discussions and Quizzes | References and Resources Authored by Greg Thompson, PhD The article below by Bruce I. Kodish, Ph.D., presents an excellent overview of the Linguistic Relativity Hypothesis (LRH) and its relevance to General Semantics. He effectively rebuts some of the specific criticisms of LRH by Noam Chomsky and Steven Pinker. This article was published in ETC: A Review of General Semantics Volume 60 Issue 4. It also constitutes Chapter 10 in his 2003 book, ... Read more
- [Bypassing Case Analysis](https://thisisnotthat.com/mooc/3-bypassing/bypassing-case-analysis/): Bypassing Case Analysis Module 3 Pages Bypassing | Bypassing Case AnalysisAssignments, Discussions and Quizzes | References and Resources Bypassing – Sample Case Analysis Instructions We can use hypothetical cases to study characters who are unaware of their bypassing behaviors. The cases that follow were developed by students who were familiar with the contributing factors of bypassing, and they created characters with such faulty language habits. After reading the Allness Sample Case below, Phonathon, explore how Jenny and Professor Burch were exhibiting bypassing behaviors. You can find the contributing factors defined and explained in the second column of Table 3.1 below. Similarly, you can see how each ... Read more
- [Practice: Abstracting and Awareness](https://thisisnotthat.com/mooc/2-allness/practice-abstracting-and-awareness/): Practice: Abstracting and Awareness Module 2 Pages Allness | Allness Case Analysis | Practice with Abstracting and AwarenessAssignments, Discussions and Quizzes | References and Resources Practice with the Structural Differential To demonstrate how our nervous systems limit perceptions of reality, Korzybski (2000) created a visual representation of the abstraction process—the structural differential. He proposed that this diagram could be used to explain semantic reactions, noting both intellectual and emotional responses of human beings during abstraction. Moreover, the structural differential explains how we think-feel-evaluate, leaving out characteristics as we move from the event (WIGO) to object level (our senses), and even more details as we use language ... Read more
- [Allness Case](https://thisisnotthat.com/mooc/2-allness/allness-case/): Allness Case Module 2 Pages Allness | Allness Case Analysis | Practice with Abstracting and AwarenessAssignments, Discussions and Quizzes | References and Resources Instructions for Case Analysis We can use hypothetical cases to study characters who are unaware of their allness behaviors. The cases that follow were developed by students who were familiar with the contributing factors of allness, and they created characters with such faulty language habits. After reading the Allness Sample Case below, explore how Georgina and Chris were exhibiting allness behaviors: abstracting different details and unawareness of abstraction. You can find the contributing factors defined and explained in the second column of Table 2.1. Similarly, ... Read more
- [In Their Words](https://thisisnotthat.com/mooc/1-whatisgs/1-6-in-their-words/): In Their Words Module 1 Pages What is GS? | Alfred Korzybski | Consciousness of Abstracting | Language | In Their WordsAssignments, Discussions and Quizzes | References and Resources Edited by Steve Stockdale On this page, the words of Neil Postman, Wendell Johnson, Irving L. Lee, and J. Samuel Bois about Korzybski and General Semantics. And a list of books that illustrate the broad interests of the subject. Neil Postman on Korzybski Neil Postman held the position of Paulette Goddard Professor of Media Ecology at New York University’s Steinhardt School of Education, and former Chair of the Department of Culture and Communication. He authored 17 books on education ... Read more
- [On Language](https://thisisnotthat.com/mooc/1-whatisgs/1-4-on-language/): On Language Module 1 Pages What is GS? | Alfred Korzybski | Consciousness of Abstracting | Language | In Their WordsAssignments, Discussions and Quizzes | References and Resources Authored by Steve Stockdale Now let’s look at some of the implications of all this abstracting, evaluating and consciousness of abstracting on our language behaviors. Scientific Orientation Toward Language I want to emphasize that the the system or methods of General Systems, including the language habits and behaviors which are espoused in this course, are not random tips, hints, secrets, or common sense aphorisms. These methods and recommendations flow from the premises and logical consequences that are consistent and integrated ... Read more
- [Consciousness of Abstracting](https://thisisnotthat.com/mooc/1-whatisgs/1-2-coa/): Consciousness of Abstracting Module 1 Pages What is GS? | Alfred Korzybski | Consciousness of Abstracting | Language | In Their WordsAssignments, Discussions and Quizzes | References and Resources Authored by Steve Stockdale One of the expressed goals in General Semantics is what Korzybski referred to as “consciousness of abstracting,” or awareness of one’s own abstracting and evaluating processes. In other words, the objective of learning GS (or anything, perhaps) is to apply it in some way to one’s own circumstances, and one way to apply GS is to maintain an ongoing awareness of the abstracting process. That’s all well and good, but then one can ask, “what ... Read more
- [Alfred Korzybski and General Semantics](https://thisisnotthat.com/mooc/1-whatisgs/1-2-korzybski/): Module 1 Pages What is GS? | Alfred Korzybski | Consciousness of Abstracting | Language | In Their WordsAssignments, Discussions and Quizzes | References and Resources Alfred Korzybski (1879-1950) – authored by Steve Stockdale Alfred Korzybski (pronounced kore-ZHIB-ski) was born in 1879 to a land-owning family in Poland. He was raised by servants from four different countries who spoke four different languages, growing up with a working knowledge of Polish, Russian, German, and French. In this type of multilingual environment, it came naturally to Korzybski to disassociate the word, or symbol, from the thing that the word or symbol represented. As a student he studied engineering, mathematics, and ... Read more
- [References and Resources](https://thisisnotthat.com/mooc/references-and-resources/): MOOC References and Resources General Semantics: An Approach to Effective Language Behavior was developed and presented on the Canvas Network by Steve Stockdale, Mary Lahman, and Greg Thompson. It is reproduced here under terms of the Creative Commons Share Alike License as published on Canvas Network from 13 January – 24 February 2014. This page summarizes all of the weekly references and resources mentioned in the course. Module 1 (back to Module 1) Module 1 References Bois, J.S. (1957). Explorations in awareness. New York: Harper & Brothers. Bois, J.S. (1966). The art of awareness. Wm. C. Brown Company Publishers, Dubuque, ... Read more
- [MOOC Assignments](https://thisisnotthat.com/mooc/mooc-assignments/): MOOC Assignments General Semantics: An Approach to Effective Language Behavior was developed and presented on the Canvas Network by Steve Stockdale, Mary Lahman, and Greg Thompson. It is reproduced here under terms of the Creative Commons Share Alike License as published on Canvas Network from 13 January – 24 February 2014. This page summarizes all of the weekly assignments, quizzes and other activities from the course. Module 1 (back to Module 1) Module 1 Assignment Now that you’ve been introduced to general semantics, participate in this Discussion topic. Provide a short answer (no more than 2 sentences) to these questions. ... Read more
- [POV Survey Results](https://thisisnotthat.com/pov-survey-results/): Point of View Survey Results If you’ve reached this page and haven’t yet completed the survey, please go here to take the 20-question survey, then return. Authored by Steve Stockdale Point of View Survey Results and Interpretations Before you read about the results of the Point of View (POV) Survey you completed, please do the following: Purpose of the POV Survey I have used similar versions of this survey (which I’ve also called a General Orientation Survey or Personal Orientation Survey) in General Semantics seminars and courses for the past ten years. The original purpose of the survey was to ... Read more
- [Point of View Survey](https://thisisnotthat.com/point-of-view-survey/): Point of View Survey Authored by Steve Stockdale Please register your first, immediate reactions to 20 statements. If you’re familiar with U.S. English, you’ve probably heard most if not all of these. In fact, you’ve probably heard them a lot since most of them can be considered as aphorisms or cliches. For each of the statements, indicate to what degree you agree or disagree with the sentiment expressed. Go with your first impression. Once you’ve marked your response and advanced, you can’t go back. NOTE: These statements may not be recognized by students who are not so familiar with American ... Read more
- [Lay Off My Persuade Shoes](https://thisisnotthat.com/lay-off-my-persuade-shoes/): Lay Off of My Persuade Shoes Here’s the invitation for this 2009 presentation, followed by the presentation as given with slides and script. The order of the presentation and some of the script has been edited. During the presentation, each section was introduced by a short clip of a relevant popular song. The “Persuasion Industry” was headed for trouble even before the current economic meltdown. With the advent of the Internet, Craigslist, TiVO, and on-demand digital TV, advertisers have struggled to figure out new forms, formats, and formulas that will add to, rather than deplete, their clients’ profits. And Public ... Read more
- [An Informed World View](https://thisisnotthat.com/an-informed-world-view/):   An Informed World View An informed world view, or personal orientation, can be derived from the neurological, linguistic and behavioral consequences of acknowledging the inevitable limitations of both differences and similarities. We tend to discriminate against people to the degree we fail to distinguish between them. – Irving J. Lee I submit that this informed orientation can be characterized by considering these seven aspects. 1. About Ourselves in the World To varying degrees, we each have common human capabilities and limitations. We have imperfect sensing capabilities. We have nervous systems that can mislead and misinform us. We have physiological and ... Read more
- [About the Course](https://thisisnotthat.com/mooc/): About the Course In 2014, I collaborated with two colleagues to teach a one-time Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) on the Canvas Network. Mary Lahman from Manchester University (Indiana), Greg Thompson from BYU in Utah, and I (then at New Mexico State University) designed and presented General Semantics: An Approach to Effective Language Behavior to over 1,300 students from 67 countries. As much as possible, the course has been reproduced here on ThisIsNotThat, within certain technical constraints. Course administrative content has been deleted. Unless specifically designated, no student content submissions, chat transcripts, quizzes, discussions, or any personal identifying information are reproduced ... Read more
- [MOOC Expectations](https://thisisnotthat.com/mooc/mooc-expectations/): MOOC Expectations Welcome to General Semantics: An Approach to Effective Language Behavior. Please watch this 9-minute video that addresses a few items regarding expectations. Below the video we will maintain an updated list of the countries represented in the course and the chart of enrollment growth. Countries represented in the course If yours isn’t listed, please let us know. Updated 31 January. (Note: final enrollment totaled 1,307 from 67 countries.)
- [Our First MOOC](https://thisisnotthat.com/mooc/our-first-mooc/): Our First MOOC Conference Presentation, InstructureCon June 2014 Following are materials made available for my session at the InstructureCon 2014 conference titled, “Our First MOOC,” in which I share the story of creating and delivering a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC). The referenced MOOC was General Semantics: An Approach to Effective Language Behavior offered on the Canvas Network during Jan-Feb 2014, presented by Mary Lahman (Manchester University), Greg Thompson (BYU), and me. Slide Deck Links and Downloads Resources available from the session: “Blue Box” In this clip from the 1995 documentary “Triumph of the Nerds” by Bob Cringely, Steve Wozniak ... Read more
- [General Semantics](https://thisisnotthat.com/general-semantics/)
- [Welcome to ThisIsNotThat](https://thisisnotthat.com/welcome-to-thisisnotthat/): A World of Differences The world in which we live is a world of differences. When we disregard differences, we generalize. When we generalize inappropriately, we stereotype, forming biases and prejudices. Troubles inevitably follow. We need to learn how to more critically differentiate, or discern, between: what actually happens in our lives; i.e., our experiences, how we respond to our experiences, and how we think-and-talk about our experiences. Since 1999, this site has promoted an ongoing awareness of differences that make a difference. It advocates an informed, open, and tolerant world view, deliberately derived from what we currently know from ... Read more
- [Module 6: Review and Reflection](https://thisisnotthat.com/mooc/6-review/): 6 – Review and Reflection General Semantics: An Approach to Effective Language Behavior was developed and presented on the Canvas Network by Steve Stockdale, Mary Lahman, and Greg Thompson. It is reproduced here under terms of the Creative Commons Share Alike License as published on Canvas Network from 13 January – 24 February 2014. Module Map – led by Mary, Greg and Steve Module 6 Pages Review and Reflection | Converging Competencies | Culture and the Individual |Suspended in Stereotypes | Living Extensionally | Course ConclusionAssignments, Discussions and Quizzes | References and Resources In this final week of the course, we will introduce  one more aspect of ... Read more
- [Module 5: Who rules your symbols?](https://thisisnotthat.com/mooc/5-symrul/): 5 – Who rules your symbols? General Semantics: An Approach to Effective Language Behavior was developed and presented on the Canvas Network by Steve Stockdale, Mary Lahman, and Greg Thompson. It is reproduced here under terms of the Creative Commons Share Alike License as published on Canvas Network from 13 January – 24 February 2014. Module Map – led by Steve Stockdale Module 5 Pages Orientations, Evaluations | Theories of Evaluation | Symbol Rulers | Implications for Education | Response Side SemanticsAssignments, Discussions and Quizzes | References and Resources Recap To this point in the course, we’ve covered: We ought to easily recognize, then, that ancient notions such ... Read more
- [Module 4: Linguistic Relativity](https://thisisnotthat.com/mooc/4-lingrel/): 4 – Linguistic Relativity General Semantics: An Approach to Effective Language Behavior was developed and presented on the Canvas Network by Steve Stockdale, Mary Lahman, and Greg Thompson. It is reproduced here under terms of the Creative Commons Share Alike License as published on Canvas Network from 13 January – 24 February 2014. This page is very long and will take longer to download. Module 4 Pages Linguistic Relativity | What We Do With Language | How Language Shapes Thought | Implications of Linguistic RelativityAssignments, Discussions and Quizzes | References and Resources Module Map – led by Greg Thompson, PhD In Module 1 we were introduced to the structural ... Read more
- [Module 3: Bypassing](https://thisisnotthat.com/mooc/3-bypassing/): 3 – Bypassing General Semantics: An Approach to Effective Language Behavior was developed and presented on the Canvas Network by Steve Stockdale, Mary Lahman, and Greg Thompson. It is reproduced here under terms of the Creative Commons Share Alike License as published on Canvas Network from 13 January – 24 February 2014. Module 3 Pages Bypassing | Bypassing Case Analysis Assignments, Discussions and Quizzes | References and Resources Module Map – led by Mary Lahman, PhD In Module 2 we discovered the contributing factors and correctives for allness. In Module 3, we will continue to apply what we have learned about General Semantics to ... Read more
- [Module 2: Allness](https://thisisnotthat.com/mooc/2-allness/): 2 – Allness General Semantics: An Approach to Effective Language Behavior was developed and presented on the Canvas Network by Steve Stockdale, Mary Lahman, and Greg Thompson. It is reproduced here under terms of the Creative Commons Share Alike License as published on Canvas Network from 13 January – 24 February 2014. Module Map – led by Mary Lahman, PhD Module 2 Pages Allness | Allness Case Analysis | Practice with Abstracting and AwarenessAssignments, Discussions and Quizzes | References and Resources In Module 1 we addressed the question, “What is General Semantics?” During the next two weeks, we will focus on applying what we learned about ... Read more
- [Module 1: What is General Semantics?](https://thisisnotthat.com/mooc/1-whatisgs/): 1 – What is General Semantics? General Semantics: An Approach to Effective Language Behavior was developed and presented on the Canvas Network by Steve Stockdale, Mary Lahman, and Greg Thompson. It is reproduced here under terms of the Creative Commons Share Alike License as published on Canvas Network from 13 January – 24 February 2014. 1 – What is General Semantics? Before you begin Module 1, please take just a few minutes to complete the “Point of View” survey. Note your answers and then when we get to Module 5, we’ll review the results. Module Map – led by Steve ... Read more
- [Korzybski Videos](https://thisisnotthat.com/korzybski-videos/): Videos with Alfred Korzybski These videos have been edited by Steve Stockdale, integrating silent film of Alfred Korzybski from 1944-1949, audio recorded in 1948-1949, mixed with titles and effects. Abstracting Explained by the Fan Disk Korzybski discusses the mechanisms of the fan-disk phenomenon in the video below. His last published paper expands on this and provides perhaps his most cogent explanation of general semantics: The Role of Language in the Perceptual Processes. (The shaded highlights in this paper indicate comments that, according to my reading, have been proved out by the latest findings in neuroscience and neurobiology.) Compare Korzybski’s “Demonstration ... Read more
- [Here's Something About General Semantics](https://thisisnotthat.com/hsgs/): Here’s Something About General Semantics A Primer for Making Sense of Your World, by Steve Stockdale (2009) The world in which we live is a world of differences. When we disregard differences, we generalize. When we generalize inappropriately, we stereotype, forming biases and prejudices. Troubles inevitably follow. We need to learn how to more critically differentiate, or discern, between what happens in our lives, how we respond, and how we think-and-talk. This book explains and applies the principles of General Semantics to promote an ongoing awareness of differences that make a difference. The book advocates an informed, open, and tolerant ... Read more
- [Blog](https://thisisnotthat.com/blog/)
- [The Structural Differential](https://thisisnotthat.com/structural-differential/): The Structural Differential Alfred Korzybski (1879-1950) Alfred Korzybski developed this diagram in the 1920’s as a means to visualize the process he called abstracting. Originally a three-dimensional, free-standing model (imagine a colander, or strainer, in place of the ragged parabola at the top), this printed version appeared in his source book for general semantics, Science and Sanity: An Introduction to Non-Aristotelian Systems. Abstracting, in the context of Korzybski’s model, refers to physiological-neurological activities, or processes, that occur on non-verbal levels. These abstracting processes begin when our nervous systems are stimulated by something we see, hear, taste, touch, or smell. Here’s ... Read more
- [Irving J. Lee Videos](https://thisisnotthat.com/lee-videos/): Irving J. Lee – All Videos Professor Irving J. Lee (1909-1955) taught speech and general semantics at Northwestern University. He was a master teacher, in part because he used so many stories and anecdotes to illustrate and augment his lectures. He was especially adept at making day-to-day events relevant to theoretical perspectives. Professor Lee authored one of the seminal books on general semantics in 1941, Language Habits in Human Affairs. He also edited the popular reader, The Language of Wisdom and Folly. He was a frequent contributor to the GS journals, ETC: A Review of General Semantics and the General ... Read more
- [Putting It Together](https://thisisnotthat.com/an-informed-world-view/putting-it-together/): 7. Integrating into an Informed World View Putting it all Together: How can we integrate, construct, and articulate a deliberate, informed world view that’s predicated on this fundamental premise of differences? What basic understandings can we use as a foundation for learning and teaching the skills necessary to critically differentiate and discern in a world of differences? A culture cannot be discriminatingly accepted, much less be modified, except by persons who have seen through it — by persons who have cut holes in the confining stockade of verbalized symbols and so are able to look at the world and, by ... Read more
- [Doing](https://thisisnotthat.com/an-informed-world-view/doing/): 6. A View About Doing What You Know We can learn from our own experiences, from others’ experiences, from books and media. We can learn from virtually any kind of experience or source. Language provides the means through which most of our learning occurs. The quality of our knowledge—how and what we learn—is dependent on the quality of our language behaviors and our evaluative judgments that guide our behaviors. But simply learning or knowing makes no difference unless that knowledge is reflected in our behaviors. Do we do what we know? Are our motivations and expectations consistent with our knowledge ... Read more
- [Language](https://thisisnotthat.com/an-informed-world-view/language/): 4. About Language Every everyday language results from choices made by humans—some deliberate, some accidental, some arbitrary. No language can be considered inherent, or inerrant. Language constitutes one critical aspect of human behavior, perhaps the defining feature for humans. Our languages ought to adapt to reflect the latest state of what we know about ourselves in our world. Although we often hear that “words have power,” words in and of themselves are nothing more than abstract ideas or symbols. What we think of as “power” resides in the individuals who speak, write, hear and read the words, then act. The ... Read more
- [Behavior](https://thisisnotthat.com/an-informed-world-view/behavior/): 5. Behavioral Consequences We react to the events, people, and situations we encounter. We can deliberately evaluate our experiences before we react. We have the cognitive means to respond to events conditionally — not automatically, like Pavlov’s dog. However, we often allow certain words, labels, symbols, etc., to determine our reactions, rather than responding to the real-world referents the labels stand for. Sometimes we fail to delay our actions, judgments, and responses. We jump to conclusions, overlook details, and don’t critically differentiate this experience from similar experiences. Sometimes we allow ourselves to be fooled, managed, and manipulated when we don’t ... Read more
- [Perspective](https://thisisnotthat.com/an-informed-world-view/perspective/): 3. Our Perspectives on the World, and Others Each person carries a background of unique-to-them experiences. Each comes from unique family, societal, religious, and political cultures. Each will interpret events or situations differently. Each has different sensing abilities. Perspectives change over time, depend on context, but remain personally unique. Can you really see from another’s perspective, or walk in another’s shoes? Can you recognize and acknowledge how your perspective may be different from another’s?   Earth in the Shadow of the Moon As of 14 Nov 2020, this video is temporarily unavailable due to webhost migration. Please check back soon. ... Read more
- [The World](https://thisisnotthat.com/an-informed-world-view/the-world/): About the World Around Us We can observe the world around us, and ourselves, from the perspective of a scientific attitude. We can observe, create theories or assumptions, test those theories, then based on results, apply, modify, or discard them. We get into trouble when we ignore this process and rely on unchallenged or untested assumptions, beliefs, or feelings. An important aspect of a scientific approach is predictability. From our day-to-day experiences, we gather information, form opinions and beliefs, gather more information, form more opinions and beliefs, etc. Does the information we gather from our daily experiences support our beliefs ... Read more
- [Ourselves](https://thisisnotthat.com/an-informed-world-view/ourselves/): 1. About Ourselves in the World To varying degrees, we each have common human capabilities and limitations. We have imperfect sensing capabilities. We have nervous systems that can mislead and misinform us. We have physiological and neurological limitations. In this respect we are all “in the same boat,” but yet we are each uniquely-individual human beings with different-sized and types of paddles, so to speak. If we don’t acknowledge these differences in our capabilities and limitations, we will misunderstand our perceptions of the world around us. So, how do we work?   from The Brain: Our Universe Within, Evolution and ... Read more
- [Presentations](https://thisisnotthat.com/presentations/): Presentations What Difference Does It Make? Implications of Neuroscience for Education — University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM. (May 2011) Layoff of My Persuade Shoes — American Advertising Federation, Amarillo, Texas. (April 2009) Cognitive Language Skills for the 21st Century — National Workshop on General Semantics, Centre for Contemporary Theory, Vadodara, Gujurat, India. (November 2007) What We Could Become: The General Semantics Influence — Heinlein Centennial, Kansas City, MO. (July 2007) A Critical Awareness and Self-Learning Program for AP English — National Council of Teachers of English, Nashville, TN. (November 2006) Rock-Paper-Scissors, Words-Meanings-People: The limited, and unlimited, powers of language — ... Read more
- [About ThisIsNotThat](https://thisisnotthat.com/about-2/): About ThisIsNotThat The genesis of this website sprang from idle hands trying to constructively deal with a severance period in 1999. It seemed like a worthwhile use of my time to learn about domain names and web hosting providers and HTML. The domain name came to me while trying to think about differentiation, differences, uniqueness, primarily in conjunction with the word is not the thing, the symbol is not the thing symbolized, etc. And, of course, the map is not the territory.Generalized, Sometimes these differences are trivial and immaterial. Sometimes, however, they do indeed make a difference. That’s what thisisnotthat.com/ ... Read more


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