Psycho-cybernetics: Chapter 11, How to Unlock Your Real Personality

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Chapter 11 of Psycho-Cybernetics is significant because it shifts the focus from external behavior to the release of the unique, inherent potential already residing within the individual. Dr. Maltz defines personality not as something acquired from the outside, but as the free and full expression of your real self. The chapter provides the method for achieving this spontaneity by overcoming the internal restraints that prevent the creative self from expressing itself.

Key Points

Inhibition as the Barrier to the Real Self

The concept of a "poor personality" is equated directly with an "inhibited personality". This inhibition occurs when the individual restrains the natural expression of the creative self, often out of fear of judgment, leading to symptoms like shyness, timidity, and self-consciousness. Inhibition results from treating negative feedback (or criticism) as a signal to stop action altogether, rather than merely using it to modify one's course toward a goal.

Excessive Careful Thinking Blocks Spontaneity

Excessive carefulness, or being overly anxious to avoid making an error, is identified as a primary cause of inhibition and anxiety. This excessive concern interferes with the natural, spontaneous action of the automatic mechanism. For instance, too much conscious monitoring of speech (excessive monitoring) is believed to cause performance deterioration, such as stuttering.

Self-Consciousness is "Others Consciousness"

Being self-conscious is fundamentally rooted in excessive concern about what others are thinking or how they might judge you. The chapter advises that the best way to make a good impression on people is to never consciously try to make a good impression on them or wonder what they are thinking. Poise is achieved through the deliberate setting aside of all fears that arise from uncontrollable circumstances.

Practicing Disinhibition
If one suffers from excessive inhibition, the remedy is to deliberately practice disinhibition. This involves consciously acting in opposition to the inhibited tendencies, such as practicing being less careful, less concerned, and less conscientious. Practical exercises include:

Acting First and Correcting Later: Acting without thinking first, and then correcting actions as you go along, mimicking how the internal servo-mechanism (like a torpedo) steers itself to a goal by making mistakes and immediately correcting course.
Stopping Self-Criticism: Ceasing the continual, conscious habit of critically analyzing past actions or "playing Monday-morning quarterback," as useful feedback works automatically and subconsciously.
Increasing Volume: Making a habit of speaking louder than usual, as loud talk itself is a powerful disinhibitor that helps release strength otherwise blocked by restraint.
Expressing Affection: Allowing yourself to compliment others or express feelings like friendship or love, which the inhibited personality often fears expressing.