ABSTRACT
Gathering information is not simply confined to discussing the presenting problem. For too long this chapter have delved deeply into the why and wherefores of a problem's existence, in the vain hope that a fuller understanding of the content will in some way bring about an insightful resolution. The chapter conducts the various unconscious filters through which their narrative passes as it reaches the light of day. Meta-programs are the unconscious, out-of-awareness, habitual filters that it uses to frame our communications. They act as information processors, determining how both input and output what people actually send to one another in a conversation. Although there are many patterns that could qualify as meta-programs, the chapter focuses on the ones that are most pertinent and useful to general practice. It is important to state that none of these patterns are right or wrong, or better or worse than any other.
