• Sight,

• Hearing,

• Touch

• Smell

• Taste

We use these senses as we move through the world and build an internal representation of this external input in our brain (the map). You – and everyone else - do not respond directly to the world, but rather to the ‘map’ or ‘model’ of the world you create.  In the process of building your map, you filter information based on your values, beliefs, memories, culture and social background. You therefore respond to your maps, rather than directly to the world.

This is important in many ways.  Most of the map is developed by age nine, so early experiences are critically important. Young people who experience positive bonds, safety and love in their early years develop drastically different maps than young people who experience overwhelming trauma early in their lives.  

The process continues throughout life, however.  We continue to build and evolve our maps, and focus on those things in both our external environments and delete anything that doesn't seem important to our maps.  We even distort what we take in to keep it consistent with our maps.  Then we generalize that our maps really are "truth".  

Once a person has a map based on painful experiences, distrust, and trauma, it is very difficult for that person to completely rework his or her map of the world.  This is important in many ways.  To the extent possible, we need to provide positive, loving, stimulating environments for young people during their early lives.  If we must intervene in cases of abuse and/or neglect, we need to provide stability as soon as possible, along with a great deal of nurturing and support, so that they can integrate these experiences into their maps, along with any negative experiences.  

In foster care,for example, we know that the fewer placements a young person has, the better the outcomes in adulthood.  I believe this is largely due to both positive experiences, and the avoidance of the negative map making results that occur with multiple transitions and the feelings of powerlessness that go with them.

Take a few minutes and think of your map of the world.  If you are involved with helping children, what led to that?  If you are of a particular religious persuasion, what contributed to your development of those beliefs?  Think about your political perceptions.  What contributed to your viewpoint?

What does it mean to you that you are responding to your map of the world, rather than the world itself?