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Moral Panic: The Irrationality of Slogans Such as "Believe Women" and "Believe Victims"
[ DISCLAIMER ] Personal Anecdote The above photo is of me—the left: taken during seventh or eighth grade, and the right: taken during adulthood. When living in the Southwest Cottage of a children’s home in both seventh and eighth grade, I was placed in a residential setting due to financial insupportability. While there, I began intimate partner relationships with two girls who lived in the coed cottage. If memory serves, girl X was in my grade and girl Y was one grade
Deric Hollings
Feb 1619 min read
Reasoned Choice: Someone There Is Dying
[ DISCLAIMER ] In my youth, adults convinced me that heavy metal music was satanic (of, relating to, or characteristic of Satan or Satanism—obsession with or affinity for evil : specifically, worship of Satan marked by the travesty of Christian rites). Thus, I was forbidden from listening to metal. As such, I unfortunately missed out on enjoying metal music from Metallica . All the same, I was vaguely familiar with some of the band’s songs, because they were quite popul
Deric Hollings
Feb 169 min read
Brighter Days: I Need a Place
[ 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
Feb 158 min read
My, My, My: If I Could Turn Back Time
[ DISCLAIMER ] The electronic dance music (EDM) song “ My My My ”, by house music producer and DJ Armand van Helden , from his album Nympho (2005), contains a sample of the song “ Comin’ Apart ” by Gary Wright from the album The Right Place (1981). I like the line “ooh, ooh-wee!” For context, “ooh-wee” (also spelled oohwee, ooowee, or hoo-wee) is an informal interjection used to express intense excitement, admiration, astonishment, or joy . As an example, “Ooh-wee, I’
Deric Hollings
Feb 155 min read
Let's Talk About Death
[ DISCLAIMER ] During my elementary school years, my older sister and I would stay awake at night so that we could watch adult programs. On one occasion, we were able to witness the song “ Push It ” by hip hop trio Salt-N-Pepa being performed on television. The song dripped with sexual innuendo! Although not entirely aware of the ins and outs regarding sexual intercourse, my sister and I were able to ascertain the song’s meaning. That was my introduction to Salt-N-Pepa,
Deric Hollings
Feb 156 min read
Let Go Without Attachment
[ DISCLAIMER ] When stationed aboard Camp Kinser in Okinawa, Japan while serving in the military (1997-1999), I participated in meritorious promotion boards (formal, competitive processes used to identify, evaluate, and promote exceptionally qualified enlisted Marines ahead of their peers). The last such event that I attended was aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Smedley D. Butler . I was a lance corporal (E-3), competing against other Marines of similar (though not equal) s
Deric Hollings
Feb 157 min read
A Mover el Culo
[ DISCLAIMER ] Per one source , “The Carnival of Brazil is an annual festival held the Friday afternoon before Ash Wednesday at noon,” and, “Carnival is the most popular holiday in Brazil and has become an event of huge proportions.” I’ve been fortunate enough to attend two Brasilian Carnavals. Earlier, when thinking about the Rio de Janeiro Carnaval and how the festival period runs from Friday (February 13, 2026) to Saturday (February 21, 2026), I skimmed through my di
Deric Hollings
Feb 145 min read
Anxiety: Stress Don't Affect Us, That's Just a Part of What Living Is
[ 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
Feb 1414 min read
You Have Options
[ 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 . The authors quote Seneca who stated, “Nothing is noble if it’s done unwillingly or under compulsion. Every noble deed is voluntary” (page 225). “Noble” means having, characterized by, ari
Deric Hollings
Feb 144 min read
A Gun up in Ya Face, and That's All You Can Come up With?
[ 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
Feb 1312 min read
Five, Four, Three... Beliefs
[ DISCLAIMER ] When providing psychoeducational lessons on Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT), I invite people to consider beliefs which are rational (in accordance with both logic and reason ) and healthy (subjectively beneficial to one’s own physical, mental, or emotional state). 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 assumpt
Deric Hollings
Feb 137 min read
Asocial Togetherness: Me, Myself, and I
[ DISCLAIMER ] One of my favorite subgenres of electronic dance music (EDM) is French house . Within this category is the duo Together , consisting of DJ Falcon and Daft Punk member Thomas Bangalter . Regarding Together’s debut single “ Together ” (2000), one source states: [The song] “Together” begins with a short segment of speech from the film Pleasantville [1998]. The line “A time has come to make a decision: are we in this thing alone, or are we in it together?”
Deric Hollings
Feb 139 min read
Consciousness: Reach Your Soul
[ DISCLAIMER ] When writing about Stoicism which is interwoven into theory and practice of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT), I often encounter related sources which reference a soul (the immaterial essence, animating principle , or actuating cause of an individual life). In Tyrant or King? I stated of this concept, “I don’t subscribe to the unfalsifiable notion of a ‘soul.’ Rather, I maintain that ‘ free will ’ can be substituted for this concept.” That view r
Deric Hollings
Feb 1210 min read
I Just Been to War and Back, I'm Stationed in My Brain
[ 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
Feb 1210 min read
When Are Beliefs Rational or Healthy?
[ DISCLAIMER ] When providing psychoeducational lessons on Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT), I invite people to consider beliefs which are rational (in accordance with both logic and reason ) and healthy (subjectively beneficial to one’s own physical, mental, or emotional state). 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 assumptio
Deric Hollings
Feb 126 min read
I Shouldn't Enjoy AmokK
[ 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
Feb 1110 min read
I'd Expect Somebody Should Be Coming
[ 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
Feb 119 min read
Are You Outsourcing Your Ability to Think Critically?
[ DISCLAIMER ] When starting the informal practice of life coaching in 1991, I knew little about artificial intelligence (AI). Of course, I couldn’t truthfully say that I had no knowledge about the possibility of sentient supercomputers. After all, I heard of references to HAL 9000 from the film 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), WOPR (War Operation Plan Response, pronounced “whopper”) from the movie WarGames (1983), Number 5 who transitioned into Johnny 5 from the flick
Deric Hollings
Feb 107 min read
Cold Feet: Can You Stand Them?
[ DISCLAIMER ] Photo credit , fair use Years ago, I spoke with client X whose wife had recently departed. He reminded me of an important lesson about the distinction between low frustration tolerance (LFT) and high frustration tolerance (HFT)— Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) concepts. I now share his example with you. In common parlance, tolerance is defined as the capacity to endure pain or hardship. Additionally, according to the American Psychological Asso
Deric Hollings
Feb 108 min read
The Better Demons of Our Nature
[ 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 . Marcus Aurelius stated, “The unjust person acts against the gods. For insofar as the nature of the universe made rational creatures for the sake of each other, with an eye toward mutua
Deric Hollings
Feb 1010 min read
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