Be True to the Game
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 Action occurs and you Believe an unhelpful narrative about the event, it’s your unfavorable assumption, not the occurrence itself, that causes an unpleasant Consequence. That negative outcome is disturbance.
In particular, there are four predominate irrational beliefs which people often use to disturb themselves: global evaluations, low frustration tolerance, awfulizing, and demandingness. When contemplating these unproductive Beliefs, think of the acronym GLAD.
It’s worth noting that the two forms of should, must, and ought-type demands with which people most often self-disturb are associated with use of absolutistic and conditional should beliefs. Generally speaking, these serve as rigid commands used toward oneself, others, and life.
An absolute must narrative is, “You absolutely must do as I say!” A conditional should narrative is, “Either you should do as I say, or you should be punished!” Noteworthy, in REBT literature, demandingness of this sort is said to function as a primary appraisal mechanism of disturbance.
Global evaluations (i.e., self-downing, other-downing, and life-downing), low frustration tolerance (also known as frustration intolerance), and awfulizing (e.g., terrible, horrible, etc.) function as secondary appraisal mechanisms. Together, GLAD will make you sad or mad, etc.
While still serving as prescriptive rather than descriptive, flexible use of recommendatory, preferential, ideal, empirical, moral and ethical, and legal ought beliefs won’t inevitably cause disturbance, as they may align with distress. Rigidity versus flexibility makes a difference.
Addressing how people upset themselves with unhelpful attitudes, the ABC model incorporates Disputation of unproductive philosophies of life in order to explore Effective new beliefs. Whereas rigid beliefs cause self-disturbance, flexible beliefs result in an un-disturbed condition.
Noteworthy, natural forms of distress are tolerable (i.e., mild anxiousness, sorrow, frustration, annoyance, disappointment, etc.). Even though unnatural forms of disturbance are also tolerable (e.g., enragement), my approach to REBT seeks the outcome which is more likely to be endured.
Now, I offer a finer point of understanding in regard to the ABC model. There are a number of flexible and inflexible terms related to demandingness which serve as derivatives to “should,” “must,” and “ought” types of self-disturbing philosophies regarding life.
For instance, “In order to understand what I’m saying, you have to pay attention,” “You better not allow your mind to wander,” “You need to listen,” and, “If you want to stop self-disturbing, then you gotta practice REBT.” Perhaps a real-world example may enrich your comprehension.
Before illustrating a demandingness derivative, it may be helpful to add that sometimes mental scripts are accompanied by inferences (the act of passing from one proposition, statement, or judgment considered as true to another whose truth is believed to follow from that of the former).
Notably, the ABC model notes how distorted inferences (misleading conclusions based on illogical and unreasonable beliefs) cause disturbance (i.e., stemming from irrational beliefs) and distress (i.e., stemming from rational beliefs). Now, I submit an example for your review.
In common parlance, the word true regards being in accordance with the actual state of affairs, as in conformable to an essential reality. Also, the term game regards any activity undertaken or regarded as a contest involving rivalry, strategy, or struggle.
Concerning hip hop, the phrase true to the game is described by one source as, “When an individual is extremely serious about his/her daily affairs including things such as their work, their family, and/or their safety. True to themselves and the life they live.”
With this context, I now turn to the second studio album, Death Certificate (1991), by lyricist Ice Cube (of N.W.A fame). It contains the song “True to the Game”, coproduced by Ice Cube and Sir Jinx, as one source states of the track:
“True to the Game” laments the trend of hip hop artists and other celebrities crossing over into mainstream music. More broadly, the song’s lyrics criticize African American assimilation into the middle class.
The song is a condemnation of Uncle Toms who sell out themselves to white communities and audiences: “Stop selling out your race, and wipe that stupid-ass smile off your face.”
In particular, he calls out rappers who switch from hardcore in an attempt to cater to overwhelmingly white audiences at the expense of integrity, those who fail to be in touch with their roots, and especially blacks who snobbishly align themselves with a white clique at the expense of fidelity to their own:
You put on your suit and tie and your big clothes, You don’t associate with the negroes.
You wanna be just like Jack, But Jack is calling you a nigger behind your back.
So back off, genius, I don’t need you to correct my broken English.
I played Death Certificate in continuous rotation during my high school years. Thus, “True to the Game” received plenty of airplay when I cruised the streets of Bomb City! All these years later, I wonder if Ice Cube considers himself as having remained “true to the game.”
Given his celebrity status, these days putting out movies which I find disagreeable (e.g., War of the Worlds [2025]), one could argue that the once talented lyricist has sold out. Noteworthy, Ice Cube’s parting words on “True to the Game” were, “Be true to the game.”
This is a demandingness inference. Taking a charitable view of his flexible demand, I interpret the lyricist’s parting words as relating to a recommendatory should statement. It’s as though Ice Cube stated to other rappers and lyricists, ‘You preferably should be true to the game.’
Has Ice Cube followed his own flexible demand? Debatably, he hasn’t! Nevertheless, a demandingness inference which is flexible will result in a healthily distressed result (e.g., disappointment). I’ve disappointed myself many times in life, as I’m accustomed to this state.
So, as Ice Cube has likely sold out, I’m merely disappointed by my beliefs about the matter. Whereas I once admired his earlier work as a lyricist and actor (e.g., Friday [1995]), I no longer enjoy his content – and that’s okay, because I can be true to the game even if others aren’t.
If you’re looking for a provider who tries to work to help you understand how thinking impacts physical, mental, emotional, and behavioral elements of your life, I invite you to reach out today by using the contact widget on my website.
As the world’s foremost hip hop-influenced REBT psychotherapist, I’m pleased to try to help people with an assortment of issues from anger (hostility, rage, and aggression) to relational issues, adjustment matters, trauma experience, justice involvement, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, anxiety and depression, and other mood or personality-related matters.
At Hollings Therapy, LLC, serving all of Texas, I aim to treat clients with dignity and respect while offering a multi-lensed approach to the practice of psychotherapy and life coaching. My mission includes: Prioritizing the cognitive and emotive needs of clients, an overall reduction in client suffering, and supporting sustainable growth for the clients I serve. Rather than simply trying to help you to feel better, I want to try to help you get better!
Deric Hollings, LPC, LCSW
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