As is the case with many matters in life, the practice of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) comes with costs and benefits. A cost may be defined as the amount paid for something while a payoff relates to the act or receiving gain for something.
As an example, if I want to increase muscularity through physical training I’ll need to accept the cost of putting in time and effort, enduring discomfort, and making sure I maintain adequate nutrition while receiving enough rest. The payoff of this cost is accomplishment of my goal.
Now, suppose I have an interest and goal related to physical fitness though I don’t want to pay the cost of success in this regard. Without putting in the necessary work, will I likely benefit from the payoff? The answer depends on short- and long-term gains.
Just shy of temporary hacks to superficially increase muscle volume (e.g., anabolic steroids), which may come with undesired trade-offs (i.e., paranoid and severe mood swings), I probably won’t achieve lasting and effective change. This is valid for psychological change, as well.
For instance, according to page 202 of The REBT Therapist’s Pocket Companion (“Pocket Companion”), clients who are reluctant to think rationally may experience a psychological obstacle involving perceived costs of holding rational beliefs versus the perceived benefits to holding irrational beliefs.
Perhaps it would be worth briefly elucidating on this matter. After all, the short-term cost of reading through this blogpost is relatively inexpensive.
A rational belief is that which is in accordance with logic and reason. Arguably, we fallible human beings don’t think rationally by default. Although the brain isn’t actually a muscle, sticking with the fitness motif, we can learn to train our cognitive strength.
To provide this form of mental, emotional, and behavioral fitness training, REBT uses exercises related to the ABC model and unconditional acceptance. Noteworthy, use of these techniques can be an uncomfortable process to endure and success with them requires commitment and frequent practice.
Still, some people don’t want to pay the cost of time, devotion, and effort it takes to become competent at using REBT exercises. Rational beliefs don’t necessarily come easy and many individuals instead search for quick fixes to their problems (e.g., psychopharmacological interventions).
These people may rationalize their behavior – which isn’t the same thing as thinking rationally – concluding that it’s more beneficial to maintain irrational beliefs and use medication that perhaps they don’t truly need than to devote necessary resources to getting better versus merely feeling better.
Regarding this lazy approach to well-being, page 203 of the Pocket Companion states there while may be payoffs to emotional problems these payoffs are likely to yield short-term benefits. As well, the long-term consequences of these issues may be negative in nature while continuing to exist.
Thus, a payoff to foregoing devoted REBT practice may relate to short-term relief from the discomfort of trying a challenging self-help strategy to resolve long-term suffering. However, short-term psychological relief may not prove useful overall.
Of course, some people aren’t interested in physical or psychological fitness. They may reason that although suffering is uncomfortable, it isn’t as unpleasant as going deep on squats or deep into one’s irrational beliefs.
As such, the cost of actually getting better isn’t preferable to the payoff of doing more of the same ol’ same. If this cohort represents you, I invite you to unconditionally accept the choice of lifelong self-disturbance.
If you can accomplish this, you’ve already performed one of the core and difficult lifts of REBT. In this case, what’s the harm in then trying the ABC model, since you’re practically halfway through the two major exercises of REBT anyway?
If you’re looking for a provider who works to help you understand how thinking impacts physical, mental, emotional, and behavioral elements of your life—helping you to sharpen your critical thinking skills, I invite you to reach out today by using the contact widget on my website.
As a psychotherapist, I’m pleased to help people with an assortment of issues ranging 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 helping you to feel better, I want to help you get better!
Deric Hollings, LPC, LCSW
Photo credit (edited), fair use
References:
Dryden, W. and Neenan, M. (2003). The REBT Therapist’s Pocket Companion. Albert Ellis Institute. Retrieved from https://www.pdfdrive.com/the-rebt-therapists-pocket-companion-d185164652.html
Hollings, D. (2022, March 15). Disclaimer. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/disclaimer
Hollings, D. (2023, September 8). Fair use. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/fair-use
Hollings, D. (2024, May 11). Fallible human being. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/fallible-human-being
Hollings, D. (2023, October 12). Get better. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/get-better
Hollings, D. (2024, April 13). Goals. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/goals
Hollings, D. (n.d.). Hollings Therapy, LLC [Official website]. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/
Hollings, D. (2024, January 2). Interests and goals. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/interests-and-goals
Hollings, D. (2023, May 18). Irrational beliefs. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/irrational-beliefs
Hollings, D. (2023, September 19). Life coaching. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/life-coaching
Hollings, D. (2023, January 8). Logic and reason. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/logic-and-reason
Hollings, D. (2024, March 4). Mental, emotional, and behavioral health. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/mental-emotional-and-behavioral-health
Hollings, D. (2023, September 3). On feelings. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/on-feelings
Hollings, D. (2022, March 24). Rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT). Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/rational-emotive-behavior-therapy-rebt
Hollings, D. (2024, March 4). Rationalization. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/rationalization
Hollings, D. (2022, November 1). Self-disturbance. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/self-disturbance
Hollings, D. (2022, November 9). The ABC model. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/the-abc-model
Hollings, D. (2023, September 6). The absence of suffering. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/the-absence-of-suffering
Hollings, D. (2024, June 10). Trade-offs. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/trade-offs
Hollings, D. (2022, July 11). Unconditional acceptance. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/unconditional-acceptance
Wayhomestudio. (n.d.). Pleasant looking pleased unshaven male notices something amazing upwards, points above head [Image]. Freepik. Retrieved from https://www.freepik.com/free-photo/pleasant-looking-pleased-unshaven-male-notices-something-amazing-upwards-points-head_10419506.htm#fromView=search&page=25&position=22&uuid=17257379-0b81-4553-9f94-e2766de7e046
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