What Is State Literacy?

Behavior makes sense when the body makes sense.

For generations, we've learned to read words, numbers, and emotions. But very few of us have learned to read one of the most important things of all—our changing body states.

That's what State Literacy is.

State Literacy is the ability to recognize how changing body states influence our access to thinking, learning, connection, and behavior.

Every human moves through different states throughout the day. As our state changes, so does what we can access. Sometimes we are open, curious, and connected. Sometimes we're intensely focused on a task. Sometimes we become overwhelmed. And sometimes the body shifts fully into protection.

The goal of State Literacy isn't to stay calm all the time.

The goal is to recognize our state, understand what the body needs, and respond with wisdom instead of judgment.

The graphic below illustrates this simple idea.

Understanding this framework changes the way we understand ourselves, our children, our classrooms, our workplaces, and our relationships.

If you'd like to learn how State Literacy develops in everyday life, begin with the Six Foundations. Each foundation builds on the one before it, creating a practical understanding of how bodies make sense.