Sanity Plates

What does my license place mean?  Here it is in a nutshell...

The 4 Domains are not personality types or astrology signs (not that there is anything wrong with either of those).  This is a different kind of map.  Developmentally speaking, the 4 Domains develop through your interaction with your environment during the first four years of your life.  It is greatly affected by “nurture” and changes your biology.  These become hard wired during those first four years of life.  Because they are biological and brain-based, we are tuned in to one another’s domains without actually being conscious of it.  Study of the 4 Domains just brings conscious attention to what our body already knows. 

The 4 Domains describe how you interact with your environment, especially your social world  It’s how each person processes their environment in general and how one’s choice of words and actions are interpreted by others more specifically in the social realm.  They are your DEFAULT setting.  I like to think of the 4 Domains as our social nervous system  or general social rhythm and once that is in place, our personalities develop on top of them.  No two PHYLOs or ONTOs or ECOs or EXOs are the same.  Although all ECOs, for example have the same default setting for dealing with their environment, their personalities make them quite different. 

Although it may seem like knowing the 4 Domains is just a way to label people (like introvert, extrovert, etc), it’s much deeper than that.  Knowing the 4 Domains gives you a short cut communicating better with others, understanding other’s behaviors, and lowering our frustration levels when interacting with “difficult” people.  For example, knowing how an ECO navigates their social waters can help the rest of us speak to an ECO in a way that the ECO can HEAR us and at the same time it can help us understand why the ECO does certain things (differently than you might do them) in a way that the rest of us may not understand.

Here is a quick overview of each of the 4 Domains using the domain’s “narrative”:

PHYLO (Tender 1’s-Bonders):  “I'm somebody who needs people around me all the time to be at my best. I value and nurture my relationships and enjoy many long-term friendships. I can easily bond with others and feel a profound sense of loss when that's not possible. I'm a team player and thrive in group settings where I can contribute. Some would say that I'm overly sensitive, but in fact I need to make some kind of contact in order to know I'm fully interacting. My feelings are my guiding force, and I'm very aware and respectful not to offend other people. I like being considered a good neighbor, relative and citizen. More than anything, I want a long, happy life.”

ONTO (Terrible 2’s-“Ballbusters”):“I'm someone who needs to be on my A-game and in control of what I'm doing. I value and nurture my ideas and enjoy many creative moments. I can accurately advise other people and feel a profound frustration when that's not welcomed. I'm a team leader and thrive in group settings where there's a clear goal. Some would say that I'm overly assertive, but in fact I need to make some kind of impact in order to know I'm fully interacting. My thoughts are my guiding force, and I'm very aware when they are clouded or upset.   I like being considered a peak performer. More than anything, I want to leave an unforgettable legacy.”    

ECO (Terrestrial 3’s-Vibe Feelers):“I place myself at the cutting edge and need a variety of activities to be at my best. I value and nurture my environments and enjoy many sacred and special places I go to mentally and physically. I can easily commune with others and feel a profound sense of dread when that's not possible. I'm a team mascot and thrive in group settings where I can improvise. Some would say that I'm overly flamboyant, but in fact I need to make some kind of overt gesture in order to know I'm fully interacting. My actions are my guiding force, and I'm very aware when I've gone too far, but I usually just keep going. I like being considered a maverick, an innovator and a free spirit. More than anything, I want to experience the unknown and share it with everyone.”

EXO (Techie 4’s-The “Mr. Spocks”):“I consider myself a very intricate and precise person and need structure to be at my best. I value and nurture information and enjoy customizing new technologies to suit myself. I can easily ignore others and   feel a profound sense of irritation when that's not possible. I'm a team organizer and thrive in group settings where I can analyze their productivity. Some would say that I'm overly serious, but in fact I need to make some kind of classification in order to know I'm fully interacting. Data is my guiding force, and I'm very good at methodically tracking multiple layers of detailed information. I like being considered an expert translator, synthesizer and skilled worker. More than anything, I want the world to become more open to the facts that run our lives.”

In Domainville, we strive for coherence-that means we need to be able to slip into the other three domains as needed to balance ourselves out.  If one is too PHYLO (not a coherent PHYLO), they make get walked on their entire lives by others-always trying to make everyone else happy and leaving themselves for dead.  If one is too ONTO, they will be unbelievably angry at the world and very difficult to work with.  If one is too ECO, they may be so unfocused on the mundane parts of life and can become so bored with their commitments (work, relationships, etc) that they bounce around life with no direction.  If one is too EXO, they may withdraw socially and prefer technology to people, parallel play to group interactions, etc.  Being coherent means you can switch around among the domains, always coming back to your primary domain but dabbling in secondary domains.

Here are examples of coherent and not coherent pop culture icons and their primary domains:

Identifying one’s Domain takes 4 seconds.  No, I’m not kidding.  It’s a matter of having the person in front of you, breathing in, breathing out, and breathing in again (4 seconds).  In that amount of time, you will know their primary domain and that will give you the tools you need to have extremely effective communication with them.  This is very helpful in all areas of one’s life.  Imagine going on a job interview and being able to communicate with the interviewer in a way that they feel comfortable with you.  How about that awkward first date?  Wouldn’t it be refreshing to be less nervous and more able to talk to the new person in a way that may to lead to a second date? 

Learning how to profile others (identify their domain) is not difficult but takes practice.  To learn more about the 4 Domains, meet Dr. Mark Filippi, ECO at large, learn how to incorporate this very unique short hand into your life, go to www.somaspace.org  

Naturally yours, 

Professor Val

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PS: If you immediately think this is BS, you are probably ONTO or EXO… #justsaying

Note: Professor Valerie Gaglione worked with me at Soma Space from 2007-2009. We also did this little thing called WOOWOOPALOOZA back in 2006 and of course we co-hosted "Soma Time" on BTR from 2007-2009.

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