“THE MAP IS NOT THE TERRITORY” SO WE NEED TO TAKE PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY
The idea behind the phrase "the map is not the territory" comes from Neuro-Linguistic Programming. NLP is an approach to communication and personal development created by Richard Bandler and John Grinder of California in the 1970's.Part of the doctrine involved is the idea that "the map is not the territory." It refers to the difference between reality and our beliefs. It applies to the fact that our perception of the world is being generated by our brain as a "map" of what we see as reality, but is not always the true reality. It is the difference between studying a road map and the actual terrain involved. The phrase refers to the fact we have an internal, mental map of reality and each of our maps are unique: ours and ours alone. We start assembling our "maps" at birth and add to them through our daily activities and mental thoughts. Our maps contain our beliefs about ourselves, our capabilities and how we fit into our world. Much of our internal map we are not aware about but they impact our attitudes, expectations and general belief about life.
This fact is important when it comes to our self examination and willingness to recognize what we need to improve upon in our lives. Being honest about our mistakes and need for change is an important part of personal growth. It requires accepting our personal responsibility for ourselves and not making excuses or blaming others. In the words of Teddy Roosevelt "If you would kick the person in the pants responsible for most of your trouble, you wouldn't sit for a month."