You can't learn to swim on a piano bench. Milton H. Erickson More Quotes by Milton H. Erickson More Quotes From Milton H. Erickson Every person's map of the world is as unique as their thumbprint.There are no two people alike. No two people who understand the same sentence the same way... So in dealing with people, you try not to fit them to your concept of what they should be. Milton H. Erickson unique two people Life isn't something you can give an answer to today. You should enjoy the process of waiting, the process of becoming what you are. There is nothing more delightful than planting flower seeds and not knowing what kind of flowers are going to come up. Milton H. Erickson flower knowing giving Allow yourself to see what you don’t allow yourself to see. Milton H. Erickson Life will bring you pain all by itself. Your responsibility is to create joy. Milton H. Erickson happy happiness inspirational Patients are patients because they are out of rapport with their own unconscious... Patients are people who have had too much programming - so much outside programming that they have lost touch with their inner selves. Milton H. Erickson too-much self people You can't effect the cards that you are dealt, but you can determine how you play them. Milton H. Erickson determine play cards Change will lead to insight far more often than insight will lead to change. Milton H. Erickson insight change Until you are willing to be confused about what you already know, what you know will never grow bigger, better, or more useful. Milton H. Erickson bigger-better confused learning Enlightenment is always preceded by confusion. Milton H. Erickson enlightenment confusion The unconscious mind is decidedly simple, unaffected, straightforward and honest. It hasn't got all of this facade, this veneer of what we call adult culture. It's rather simple, rather childish It is direct and free. Milton H. Erickson adults simple mind Each person is a unique individual. Hence, psychotherapy should be formulated to meet the uniqueness of the individual's needs, rather than tailoring the person to fit the Procrustean bed of a hypothetical theory of human behavior. Milton H. Erickson bed unique needs The most important thing in changing human behavior is the person's motivation. Milton H. Erickson motivation behavior important People do not come into therapy to change their past but their future. Milton H. Erickson therapy people past People who accomplish a great many things are people who have freed themselves from biases. These are the creative people. Milton H. Erickson great-men creative people A goal without a date is just a dream. Milton H. Erickson just-a-dream goal dream You use hypnosis not as a cure but as a means of establishing a favorable climate in which to learn. Milton H. Erickson hypnosis climate mean You don't take insults. You leave them with the insulter. Milton H. Erickson insult insults-you The unconscious works without your knowledge and that is the way it prefers. Milton H. Erickson unconscious mind way You see, we don't know what our goals are. We learn our goals only in the process of getting there. "I don't know what I'm building but I'm going to enjoy building it and when I get through building it I'll know what it is." In doing psychotherapy you impress this upon patients. You don't know what a baby is going to become. Therefore, you take good care of it until it becomes what it will. Milton H. Erickson goal waiting baby Don't ask why the patient is the way he is, ask for what he would change. Milton H. Erickson cognitive-therapy patient way
