Nominalizations occur when we take an action (a verb) and turn it into a noun, creating the illusion that it is a fixed, unchanging thing. This shift in language can be misleading because it tricks our minds into seeing processes as static concepts. For example, a decision is the act of deciding, and a relationship is the ongoing process of relating to someone. When we treat these as rigid entities rather than dynamic processes, we may feel stuck and limit our ability to take action.

How Nominalizations Create Confusion

Nominalizations often lead to misunderstandings because people interpret them differently based on their experiences. For instance, when discussing loyalty, each person may have a unique understanding of what that means, yet assume they are speaking about the same thing.

Some common nominalizations include:

• Relationship
• Decision
• Communication
• Leadership
• Motivation
• Stress
• Addiction

Challenging Nominalizations with Meta Model Questions

To clarify the real meaning behind these abstract terms, we can ask questions that uncover the underlying process:

• “The problem is my relationship.”
  • How are you relating to the other person?
• “The decision is final.”
  • What are you deciding? How did you arrive at this decision?
• “Our communication isn’t working.”
  • How are you communicating? What specifically isn’t working?
• “His leadership skills are lacking.”
  • Who is he leading, and in what way?
• “I don’t feel motivated anymore.”
  • What do you want to be motivated to do?
• “My job is stressful.”
  • What is putting pressure on you? How are you experiencing stress?
• “This addiction is ruining my life.”
  • What actions make up this addiction? What is the process behind it?
• “I have obsessive-compulsive disorder.”
  • How are you engaging in obsessive or compulsive behaviors?

Recognizing nominalizations and shifting our language to reflect processes rather than fixed states is one of the most powerful problem-solving tools in the Meta Model. When we view these experiences as active processes, we open the door to change, flexibility, and new possibilities.