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A Cause for Concern Doesn't Cause Concern
[ DISCLAIMER ] I invite you to consider a psychoeducational lesson on Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) which involves how I practice Stoicism regarding a current event. Although you may be tempted to pass by this post, because you don’t care about media stories, I encourage you to stay. I don’t necessarily like or love current geopolitical events, though I make an attempt to daily practice REBT—which involves facing matters for which I have little appreciati
Deric Hollings
Apr 2011 min read
Realistic Training: Reality Testing
[ DISCLAIMER ] In common parlance, the term “realistic” relates to being able to see things as they really are and to deal with them in a practical way. For instance, it isn’t realistic to train (to make prepared , as by exercise, for a test of skill) in unrealistic settings (e.g., training to swim while lying in sand). As well, the American Psychological Association (APA) defines “training” as systematic instruction and practice by which an individual acquires compete
Deric Hollings
Apr 189 min read
Complex Systems vs. Complicated Systems
[ DISCLAIMER ] In order to provide this psychoeducational lesson on mental, emotional, and behavior health (collectively “ mental health ”), it may be useful to define various terms. After all, the complex and complicated topics discussed herein may not actually be as you believe they are. The term “complex” relates to a group of obviously related units of which the degree and nature of the relationship is imperfectly known. As an example, my cellphone is a complex
Deric Hollings
Apr 1514 min read
Consider Your Choices
[ 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 ancient Stoic philosopher Epictetus who stated, “Consider who you are. Above all, a human being, carrying no greater power than your own reasoned choice , which oversees
Deric Hollings
Apr 159 min read
FUBAR vs. a Pragmatic, Instead of the Moralistic, Approach to Wealth
[ DISCLAIMER ] When assigned to the Marine Security Guard (MSG) detachment in Lima, Peru (2000-2001), I attended a United States (U.S.) Marine Corps Birthday ball without a date. A fellow MSG, who often expressed disdain for me, took as a date someone to whom I’ll refer as “Chaparrita.” Regarding how I met her, I stated in Non-Monogamous Desires that “there was the matter of another Marine’s date in Lima, Peru who liked me more than him, and who became my rave partner wh
Deric Hollings
Apr 412 min read
Shortsighted Fundamentalism and Dogmatic Attitudes
[ DISCLAIMER ] Looking back at my time in the United States Marine Corps (1996-2007), as military police (MP) when stationed aboard Camp Kinser in Okinawa, Japan (1997-1999), I realize how shortsighted (lacking foresight—a view forward) I was. To elucidate this point, forgive me an anecdote. When initially introduced to the provost marshal office (PMO) in Camp Kinser – affectionately referred to as Mayberry , Killer Kinser PMO, and Kinser County PD [police department
Deric Hollings
Mar 317 min read
Pleasures, When They Go Beyond Proper Measure, Are but Punishments
[ DISCLAIMER ] From time to time, people contact me regarding care for mental, emotional, and behavioral health (collectively “ mental health ”) for so-called porn addiction. For clarity, it may be worth stating that the American Psychological Association (APA) thusly defines pornography: [W]ritings or images (e.g., illustrations, films, digital media) with blunt, often exploitative sexual content designed solely to arouse a sexual response and to satisfy the sexual urg
Deric Hollings
Mar 3010 min read
Blending in With the Crowd
[ 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 ancient Stoic philosopher Seneca who stated, “Inwardly, we ought to be different in every respect, but our outward dress should blend in with the crowd” (page 255). H
Deric Hollings
Mar 255 min read
The House Negro and the Field Negro: Suffer Peacefully
[ DISCLAIMER ] Message to the Grass Roots On his 2018 album I Self Lord and Master (I.S.L.A.M.) , lyricist Recognize Ali released the song “ Liftin Me Higher ” that featured a sample of the 1963 speech “ Message to the Grass Roots ” by the late black nationalist leader el-Hajj Malik el-Shabazz (better known as Malcolm X ) who said: All the revolutions that’s going on in Asia and Africa today are based on what? Black nationalism . A revolutionary is a black nationali
Deric Hollings
Mar 2418 min read
Stoicism Has Limits
[ 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 . When professionally providing care for mental, emotional, and behavioral health (collectively “ mental health ”), I think it’s morally and ethically responsible to inform people of menta
Deric Hollings
Mar 235 min read
Worry: Would It Help?
[ DISCLAIMER ] *Spoilers for Bridge of Spies (2015) contained herein. Photo credit , property of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures and 20th Century Fox, fair use I recently re-watched a film, Bridge of Spies (2015)— said to have been based on true events, that I haven’t seen in over a decade. While watching, I thought of a psychoeducational lesson on Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT). For context, one source states of the film: In 1957, lawyer James B. D
Deric Hollings
Mar 229 min read
Obstacle, Just Another Obstacle
[ DISCLAIMER ] When in the Marine Corps (1996-2007), I bowled quite a bit. As a matter of full disclosure, I’m not a skilled bowler. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the challenge of an obstacle (something that impedes progress or achievement). In my case, my lack of skill at bowling was the obstacle. Somehow, it was as though other Marines were naturally accomplished bowlers. Yet, my balls spent more time in the gutter than not. (If you read a sexual innuendo in that last senten
Deric Hollings
Mar 204 min read
Hypocrisy: What Is Said Matters Less Than What Is Done
[ DISCLAIMER ] As a member of the Churches of Christ in 1992, I participated in Vacation Bible School events in Las Vegas, New Mexico during my summer break from high school. At one point, adults held down the boys from a children’s home in which I lived, spraying us with water from squirt guns. Typically, non-violence was our Christian message. Yet, the adults displayed hypocrisy (a feigning to be what one is not or to believe what one does not: behavior that contr
Deric Hollings
Mar 156 min read
Trolley Problem: Distress or Disturbance
[ DISCLAIMER ] When providing professional care for mental, emotional, and behavioral health (collectively “ mental health ”), I practice Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT). In this blogpost, I’ll discuss one of the major techniques regarding this psychotherapeutic modality . 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 occurrence
Deric Hollings
Mar 1411 min read
Charity Starts at Home: The Good Fight
[ DISCLAIMER ] Charity Starts at Home Admittedly, I have long admired many hip hop duos. It’s difficult to pick which one I ultimately cherish the most. Nevertheless, the Durham, North Carolina (NC) duo Little Brother (lyricists Phonte and Big Pooh ) are undeniably within my uppermost favorite category! As other fans of the group may agree, Little Brother was subjectively at their peak when record producer, record executive, and DJ 9th Wonder (“9th”) was part of the
Deric Hollings
Feb 2621 min read
Stoic Joy
[ DISCLAIMER ] Within my blog, because I generally focus on healthy and unhealthy negative emotions , I don’t spend much time discussing positive emotional states such as happiness and joy. For context, the American Psychological Association (APA) thusly defines happiness: [A]n emotion of joy, gladness, satisfaction , and well-being . I view happiness as a state of being rather than representing the six core emotions experienced by humans, which include joy, fear,
Deric Hollings
Feb 256 min read
Some People Have More Advantages Than Others
[ DISCLAIMER ] I attended my first graduate (“grad”) studies program, for counseling, from 2009 to 2011. I then experienced grad school for a second time, for social work, from 2012 to 2014. It was in the second program that I met student X. We shared some similarities and some differences. For a shared similarity, we’d both attended the same university than the one regarding our social work studies. Concerning a difference, student X was said to come from an affluent whi
Deric Hollings
Feb 229 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
You Aren't Promised a Rose Garden
[ DISCLAIMER ] Living in a children’s home in 1992, a fellow resident and friend of mine told me about how the United States (U.S.) Marine Corps was the “most bad-ass” military branch in our nation. Although I was raised under the tenets of Jehovah’s Witnesses , what he said appealed to me. For those who are unaware, the religious doctrine up with which I was nurtured assumes a politically neutral position and discourages military service. Still, perhaps because I had lo
Deric Hollings
Jan 159 min read
It Is Well to Be Stoic
[ 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 . Have you ever had big plans to do something, only to discover that your arrangements wouldn’t come to fruition? If so, then you may consider what ancient Roman Stoic philosopher Seneca h
Deric Hollings
Dec 5, 20256 min read
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