When our way of thinking and doing things leaves us unaware of possible consequences. We are then “blind” to things that we might otherwise see when in an unfamiliar environment.

The philosopher Martin Heidegger referred to this “blindness” as habitual behaviour. It is hidden from us and we don’t see it because it’s “transparent” to us, like the glass in a window frame.  If we are not aware of the language, emotions, actions and reactions we are experiencing, we cannot see how changing our Way of Being could serve us better.  

If we could observe ourselves and the behaviour of others better, we would realise what we are saying, why we react over-emotionally, adopt a given body posture, or see its impact on other people and our environment.

It’s our actions that determine the result we get from an intention. Paying closer attention to our intention can help us choose better actions to get the  outcome we desire. It means we have to be alert to how our mind is being triggered by our habitual interpretations and reactions.

For example, we can fail to see:

• Assumptions and limiting beliefs

• An inability to imagine or explore options

• Our lack of curiosity and openness to new insights and ideas

• The questioning of the logic in our assessments

• A fear of failure, change or losing identity

• Patterns of interconnection between people, events and things.

If we see the world as a dangerous place, we are unlikely to take risks or grasp new opportunities. But if life is seen as an adventure, we are more likely to say yes to opportunities and take calculated risks. We are shaped by the stories we tell ourselves. Stories that we grew up with that are real to us. They become our belief system. 

Because we don’t see our ‘being’, we are blind to our blindness. That’s why we sometimes need someone we trust to help us see what we cannot see – to reveal our “cognitive blindness”. This is the domain of an Ontological Coach. 

Our truth’ is often nothing more than a learned story. Expressed in words, they are intimately connected with our feelings and body movement. 

Our Way of Being is the result of what we have learned over time and believe to be true. We learned it from our families and the culture that surrounded us as we grew up. This learning continues throughout life, and forms the interpretations from which we make sense of our world, and why it’s so different from the world inhabited by others.