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Self-Reliance
[ DISCLAIMER ] Years ago, when employed in the field of nuclear security, a coworker buddy of mine asked for help with constructing an at-home concrete walkway. In effect, he expressed reliance (the state of being reliant—having dependence on something or someone) on me for the project. It wasn’t that my friend spoke of an inherent need (a condition requiring supply or relief), as he could’ve completed the walkway on his own. Nevertheless, reliance on me for the project
Deric Hollings
Oct 29, 20256 min read
Expressive Individualism and Religion
[ DISCLAIMER ] It’s no secret that the late psychologist Albert Ellis , who developed Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT), was an atheist (a person who does not believe in the existence of a god or any gods). As a psychologist, Ellis apparently preferred science to religion, as he stated (page 33): To devoutly believe in any of the usual religions, therefore, is to be unscientific, and we could well contend that the more devout one is, the less scientific one tend
Deric Hollings
Oct 28, 202514 min read
Beauty in Excellence
[ DISCLAIMER ] Photo credit , fair use I performed an artificial intelligence (AI) image search query for “beautiful” (the quality or group of qualities in a person or thing that gives pleasure to the senses or the mind ) and the above image was revealed. Personally, the AI individual in the photo above isn’t beautiful. While I acknowledge that there’s no unified objective standard of beauty to which all people are held, there remains plenty of evidence in support of th
Deric Hollings
Oct 28, 20257 min read
Suicide and Suicide Attempts: Jumping Out the Window
[ DISCLAIMER ] Photo credit , photographer: Brian McElhiney , property of Stars and Stripes, fair use When serving as military police (MP) while stationed aboard Camp Kinser , a major logistics base for Marine Corps Forces on Okinawa, Japan from 1997 to 1999, I responded to an emergency call at the Kinser towers (on-base military family housing). The crisis call related to an attempted suicide in-progress. Regarding this matter, the American Psychological Association (A
Deric Hollings
Oct 27, 20258 min read
Give Me What I Need!
[ DISCLAIMER ] When providing psychoeducational lessons on Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT), I teach people about the ABC model of self-disturbance (how people upset themselves through use of irrational beliefs ). Now, I’ll address a finer point of this psychotherapeutic model of wellness . For context, REBT uses the ABC model to illustrate how when an undesirable A ction occurs and you B elieve an unhelpful narrative about the event, it’s your unfavorable a
Deric Hollings
Oct 27, 20258 min read
I Want What I Want
[ DISCLAIMER ] When providing psychoeducational lessons on Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT), I teach people about the ABC model of self-disturbance (how people upset themselves through use of irrational beliefs ). Now, I’ll address a finer point of this psychotherapeutic model of wellness . For context, REBT uses the ABC model to illustrate how when an undesirable A ction occurs and you B elieve an unhelpful narrative about the event, it’s your unfavorable a
Deric Hollings
Oct 27, 20258 min read
Protesting May Feel Better, Though Do Things Actually Get Better?
[ DISCLAIMER ] In my blog, I make no secret of how I once unwittingly worked alongside intelligence officers of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) when serving diplomatic posts in South America. Once my ignorance was remedied, I was promptly sent back to the United States (U.S.). Years later, I began using Instagram (IG) as a blogging platform while others were posting vapid content (e.g., photos of what they’d eaten on any given day). For a while, I amassed a diver
Deric Hollings
Oct 27, 202514 min read
Physiological and Psychological Fitness
[ DISCLAIMER ] When transitioning from military to veteran status, I was exposed to many sterile environments in the form of multiple physicians’ offices. During that time, I underwent many physiological and psychological examinations. “Physiological” is of or relating to physiology—the organic processes and phenomena of an organism or any of its parts or of a particular bodily process. For example, I sat upon or next to doctors’ exam beds when being prodded to determine
Deric Hollings
Oct 27, 20257 min read
Boots
[ DISCLAIMER ] A friend of mine asked about my opinion regarding the military comedy drama television series Boots (2025), based on the memoir The Pink Marine . Set in the 1990s, the series explores the experience of a gay male’s enlistment in the United States (U.S.) Marine Corps. Personally, I can’t speak to the lived experience of the main character. Still, my friend knows that I served in the Corps from 1996 to 2007, as I was kicked out of the Marines following a s
Deric Hollings
Oct 26, 202510 min read
Killing Americans for Years and Getting Rich off of It
[ DISCLAIMER ] As I remain politically neutral, my approach to Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) isn’t necessarily polluted by beliefs which are irrational (not in accordance with both logic and reason ). Still, this isn’t to suggest that I’m immune from bias . After all, I’m a fallible human . Noteworthy, “logic” is the interrelation or sequence of facts or events when seen as inevitable or predictable , and “reason” is a statement offered in explanation or j
Deric Hollings
Oct 26, 202512 min read
Lifestyles of the Rich and Shameless
[ DISCLAIMER ] Growing up in a standard slightly above abject poverty (the most severe form of poverty, defined as a lack of basic human needs like food, clean water, sanitation, and shelter), I recall watching the television series Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous which was hosted by Robin Leach . Although the program didn’t distract from my own circumstances (i.e., government-assisted living, roach and rat infestations, insecure housing, etc.), I’d often fantasize abo
Deric Hollings
Oct 24, 20259 min read
Watch Out!
[ DISCLAIMER ] When providing psychoeducational lessons on Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT), I teach people about the ABC model of self-disturbance (how people upset themselves through use of irrational beliefs ). Now, I’ll address a finer point of this psychotherapeutic model of wellness . For context, REBT uses the ABC model to illustrate how when an undesirable A ction occurs and you B elieve an unhelpful narrative about the event, it’s your unfavorable a
Deric Hollings
Oct 24, 20257 min read
Bringing Together Sound Teaching With Sound Conduct
[ DISCLAIMER ] As Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) is informed by Stoic philosophy , this blog entry is part of an ongoing series regarding a book entitled The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living by Ryan Holiday and Stephen Hanselman . Not long ago, someone in my personal life (“person X”) realized that I conduct daily practice and provide psychoeducational lessons on the Stoic tenets of REBT. Because he appeared recep
Deric Hollings
Oct 23, 20257 min read
False Trilemma: On Sheepdogs
[ DISCLAIMER ] Photo credit , fair use Fairly recently, I posted a psychoeducational lesson regarding my approach to Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT), entitled False Trilemma . In the blogpost, I stated: [F]alse trilemmas result when only three choices are presented, yet more exist, or a spectrum of possible choices exists regarding three extremes. These dilemmas are usually characterized by “either this, that, or that” language, though may also be characterize
Deric Hollings
Oct 23, 20257 min read
I Can't Stand It!
[ DISCLAIMER ] When providing psychoeducational lessons on the ABC model , one of the major techniques of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT), I find it useful to discuss the finer points of beliefs which are irrational (not in accordance with both logic and reason ). For context, REBT uses the ABC model to illustrate that when an undesirable A ction occurs and you B elieve an unhelpful narrative about the event, it’s your unfavorable assumption , not the occurr
Deric Hollings
Oct 23, 20254 min read
Move! Get out the way!
[ DISCLAIMER ] When providing psychoeducational lessons on Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT), I teach people about the ABC model of self-disturbance (how people upset themselves through use of irrational beliefs ). Now, I’ll address a finer point of this psychotherapeutic model of wellness . For context, REBT uses the ABC model to illustrate how when an undesirable A ction occurs and you B elieve an unhelpful narrative about the event, it’s your unfavorable a
Deric Hollings
Oct 23, 20257 min read
I Had to Scheme
[ DISCLAIMER ] When providing psychoeducational lessons on Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT), I teach people about the ABC model of self-disturbance (how people upset themselves through use of irrational beliefs ). Now, I’ll address a finer point of this psychotherapeutic model of wellness . For context, REBT uses the ABC model to illustrate how when an undesirable A ction occurs and you B elieve an unhelpful narrative about the event, it’s your unfavorable a
Deric Hollings
Oct 22, 20256 min read
The Construct
[ DISCLAIMER ] To provide a psychoeducational lesson on my approach to Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT), I find it useful to illustrate how the scripts which we tell ourselves are constructed (made or formed by combining or arranging parts or elements; set in logical order). First, it may be worthwhile to distinguish between thoughts and beliefs. A “thought” is an individual act or product of thinking . A “belief” is a state or habit of mind in which trust or
Deric Hollings
Oct 22, 20259 min read
Epicureanism and Hedonism
[ DISCLAIMER ] Photo credit , fair use The Epicurean On their album Demi Glacé (2019), hip hop group Vendetta Kingz released the track “ The Epicurean ” upon which it is stated “life is best lived to the fullest,” “enjoy the finer things,” and “enjoy the fruits of my labor; epicure, beauty in the flavor.” For context, an “epicure” is one with sensitive and discriminating tastes, especially in food or wine, and this term archaically related to one devoted to sensual pl
Deric Hollings
Oct 21, 202518 min read
Do What You Have to Do
[ DISCLAIMER ] In 1996, the classic rap group from Queens, New York, Lost Boyz (“LB”), released Legal Drug Money which one of my favorite old school albums from the golden age of hip hop . It was one of those anthologies which weren’t heavily polluted by useless filler (lower quality songs). On the album was the track “ Jeeps, Lex Coups, Bimaz & Benz ”, produced by Easy Mo Bee , which was released as a single in 1995, and on which Mr. Cheeks stated: Keep the shit liv
Deric Hollings
Oct 21, 20258 min read
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