Evidential Procedure™: How You Judge, Interpret, and Build Your Identity
“Your identity isn’t found. It’s forged. And it’s forged in the fire of evidence you choose to admit or reject.”
—Dr. Keith M. Waggoner
Every day, you are holding court inside your mind.
You are both the prosecutor and the defendant. The evidence you allow, the meaning you assign to it, and the conclusions you reach about yourself and others—these are not random. They form a pattern, a system, a procedure. And most people don’t even realize it’s running their lives.
That system is what I call your Evidential Procedure™.
It determines:
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Who you believe you are
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What you believe you’re worth
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What you allow yourself to try—or avoid
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How you relate, lead, love, and live
And the good news? You can change it.
What Is Your Evidential Procedure?
Your Evidential Procedure™ is the internal filtering system that interprets life and builds your identity. It’s the invisible court of judgment that rules your mind:
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What’s admissible evidence?
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What gets rejected or ignored?
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What conclusions get repeated… until they become beliefs?
This inner process runs beneath the surface. You interpret failures, filter praise, justify fear, and form attachments—not based on truth, but based on the evidence your inner judge has already decided is worth listening to.
The P.R.I.S.M.™ Model – Your 5 Filters of Evidence
Every human processes their reality through what I call the P.R.I.S.M.™—a five-part lens system that distorts or directs your self-perception:
| Filter | What It Does |
|---|---|
| P – Personal History | Interprets current reality through past pain, success, or trauma |
| R – Rationalization | Justifies stagnation or fear with logic or excuses |
| I – Interpretation | Assigns emotional meaning to neutral events |
| S – Social Proof | Filters identity through others’ opinions or family expectations |
| M – Metaphor & Mood | Runs life by symbolic language or dominant emotional states |
Most people build their self-worth from distorted filters. But when you understand your P.R.I.S.M.™, you begin to reclaim the lens—and your power.
⚖️ The Inner Judge: Saboteur or Sage?
You were born to judge. Judgment is not the problem.
The problem is the quality of your judgment.
From the work of Shirzad Chamine’s Positive Intelligence, we understand the concept of the Inner Saboteur and the Inner Sage:
The Saboteur Judge:
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Rules through fear, shame, and perfectionism
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Creates internal “Shoulds” and “Supposed Tos”
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Fights for identity protection—even if it costs growth
The Sage Judge:
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Discerns with truth and compassion
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Reframes pain into wisdom
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Leads toward clarity, healing, and action
Your work—whether personal or in coaching—is to train your inner judge to move from Saboteur to Sage. From fearful protector to wise guide.
The Neuroscience of Filtering
This is not just psychology. It’s biology.
Here’s how your brain plays a role in your Evidential Procedure™:
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Amygdala: Records emotionally-charged experiences (especially fear).
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Prefrontal Cortex: Supports logic, perspective-taking, and future planning.
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Dopamine: Fuels motivation, reward, and learning new behaviors.
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Cortisol: Locks in memories of pain and stress, reinforcing survival patterns.
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Default Mode Network: Replays your core self-story on autopilot.
You aren’t just thinking your identity—you are wiring it through repeated emotional and narrative patterns.
Growth Mindset vs. Fixed Mindset (Carol Dweck)
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A Fixed Mindset clings to past evidence to protect the ego.
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“I failed once. I’m not good enough.”
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A Growth Mindset seeks new evidence to stretch the identity.
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“That was feedback. I can learn and grow.”
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If your internal judge is rooted in fixed mindset filters, your potential becomes a prison. But if your judge becomes a Sage—rooted in a growth mindset—your potential becomes a path.
How to Change Your Evidential Procedure™
Here’s how you begin to rewire your filters and retrain your Judge:
1. Identify a Limiting Belief
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“I’m not a leader.”
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“I always mess things up.”
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“People like me can’t succeed.”
2. Run It Through the P.R.I.S.M.™
Ask:
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What past experiences am I using to prove this?
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What logical excuses am I repeating?
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What emotional meanings am I assigning?
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Who’s told me this, and why do I believe them?
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What metaphors or moods are coloring my perception?
3. Reframe with Sage Questions
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“Is this belief still true—or just old?”
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“What would the wisest version of me say about this?”
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“What evidence have I never considered before?”
4. Practice Growth Identity Statements
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“I am not finished. I am becoming.”
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“My past is a lens, not a limit.”
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“Every day I train my inner judge to see truth—not just fear.”
What Happens When You Shift?
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You see the old courtroom for what it was: survival-based, shame-based, limited.
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You appoint a new Judge—the Sage—to preside over your life with wisdom and power.
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You start living in alignment with truth, clarity, and possibility.
“You must judge. But judge rightly. Let the Sage rise.”
You are not your pain.
You are not your past.
You are the product of what you believe—and what you choose to believe next.
That journey starts with changing your Evidential Procedure™.
Written by Dr. Keith M. Waggoner
Strategic Edge Coaching | Undisputed Mastery | Coach School