Crafty Listening
Theory of Mind
When we confuse our ‘maps’ with the
territory, our
inability or unwillingness to consider, explore and understand other people’s
maps is a significant factor in the misunderstanding, lack of rapport or
empathy and other forms of miscommunication that lead to dysfunctional
relationships
Theory of mind is the ability to attribute mental states—beliefs, intents, desires, pretending, knowledge, etc.—to oneself and others and to understand that others have beliefs, desires and intentions that are different from one's own.
Theory of Mind is a theory insofar as the mind is not directly observable. The presumption that others have a mind is termed a theory of mind because each human can only prove the existence of his or her own mind through introspection, and no one has direct access to the mind of another.It is typically assumed that others have minds by analogy with one's own, and based on the reciprocal nature of social interaction, as observed in joint attention, the functional use of language, and understanding of others' emotions and actions.
Having a theory of mind allows one to attribute thoughts, desires, and intentions to others, to predict or explain their actions, and to posit their intentions.
As originally defined, it enables one to understand that mental states can be the cause of—and thus be used to explain and predict—others’ behaviour
Being able to attribute mental states to others and understanding them as causes of behaviour implies, in part, that one must be able to conceive of the mind as a “generator of representations”.