Words That Create Mental Cages: Why Nominalisations Matter (And Why They Should Matter to You)

We live in a world defined by language, but how often do we pause to consider the power that words hold over us? As a coach, executive, or professional, you’ve likely heard the terms "career," "life," "success," "failure," and "leadership" thrown around endlessly. These words seem straightforward, but are they really? In the world of linguistics, these are known as nominalisations—words that describe processes as if they were static objects (nouns). And while words may seem like harmless devices, they can quickly become mental cages, shaping our reality and influencing how we filter and therefore, experience life.

What Are Nominalisations?

Nominalisations are abstract nouns that disguise processes or actions as fixed, unchangeable things. Consider the words “career,” “communication,” “success,” or “failure”—they're all abstractions. A career isn’t a single static thing; it’s a series of experiences, choices, decisions, relationships, and actions over time. Success and failure are not entities—they’re subjective interpretations based on ever-shifting circumstances.

As Ricky Gervais poignantly put it, “Think of all the things we've overcome as a species. We've survived ice ages, fought off predators, endured wars, famine, and disease. And after all of that….  we’re offended by words.” The absurdity here, as Gervais highlights, is the immense weight we give to language in a way that limits us. Instead of seeing words as useful tools, we let them solidify into realities that govern our behaviour and, ultimately, limit our potential.

Why Nominalisations Matter in Coaching

Why should this matter to you as a coach? Simply put, language shapes perception. As a coach, the words you use and the words your clients use in conversation reflect deep-rooted thought patterns and beliefs. When clients talk about "success" or "failure" as though they are concrete, fixed realities, they are locking themselves into a specific, often disempowering narrative. To buy into these nominalisations is to become part of the problem, not the solution.

For example, a client may say, "I am a failure." That’s a nominalisation in action. Failure is not a "thing" they are, but rather an interpretation of an experience they've had. Reframing this in a coaching session to, "I feel like I failed at X, and here's what I can learn from it," changes everything. Now, failure is no longer a fixed state—it’s a process that can lead to growth.

Nominalisations become mental prisons, especially for entrepreneurs and executives guiding teams. Words like "leadership" or "communication" become ideals that seem unreachable or so vague that they lose meaning. However, by breaking these down into actionable processes, you unlock specific, tangible actions. For instance, instead of focusing on the word “leadership,” focus on what effective leading looks like, feels like, and acts like in day-to-day interactions.

The NLP Approach

From an NLP perspective, understanding nominalisations (by using The Meta Model) is essential to helping individuals deconstruct their thought patterns. Words should be tools for transformation, not containers that trap our thinking. In coaching, once you break down nominalisations, you can reframe them as actionable processes. For instance, "career" becomes a sequence of decisions, and "communication" transforms into an ongoing exchange of relating about and through information, thoughts, and emotions.

Similarly, Integral Theory—a framework for understanding human consciousness and development—reminds us that we live in multiple realities: subjective, objective, intersubjective and interobjective. Nominalisations, by reducing complex processes into singular terms, cut us off from the dynamic nature of reality. By unpacking these words, we can experience life more fully and navigate challenges with greater adaptability and presence.

Words Matter—But They’re Just Devices

Here’s the paradox: words shouldn’t matter—but they do. The problem isn’t the words themselves; it’s that we often treat words as objective truths. As coaches and professionals, it's vital to challenge how words are used—by ourselves and our clients. Words like "success," "failure," and "leadership" often hide deeper layers of meaning, complexity, and emotion.

By becoming aware of the nominalisations we use, we begin to see beyond the "mental cages" they create. This awareness allows for a more expansive understanding of reality, where success isn’t an end goal, but a constantly evolving journey, and failure isn’t a final verdict, but a valuable lesson in the process.

At The Coaching Room, we help professionals break free from these mental constraints, empowering them to live more fully and lead more effectively. Remember, language is powerful—don’t let it box you in.

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