Don’t Label Your Entire Personhood as “Good” or “Bad”
As Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) was formed by the late psychologist Albert Ellis, who reportedly developed the first cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) psychotherapeutic modality in 1955, this blog entry is part of an ongoing series regarding his book, Ask Albert Ellis?: Straight Answers and Sound Advice from America’s Best-Known Psychologist.
Now, REBT uses the ABC model to illustrate that when an undesirable Action occurs and you Believe an unhelpful narrative about the event, it’s your unfavorable assumption, not the event itself, that causes an unpleasant Consequence. This is known as distress or disturbance.
In particular, there are four predominate irrational beliefs which people often use to distress or disturb themselves: global evaluations, low frustration tolerance, awfulizing, and demandingness. When contemplating these unproductive scripts, think of the acronym GLAD.
Noteworthy, especially regarding global evaluations, the American Psychological Association defines labeling as “classifying a patient according to a certain diagnostic category.” Similarly, people globally label (a descriptive or identifying word or phrase) themselves, others, and things.
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.
Additionally, REBT uses unconditional acceptance (UA) to relieve self-induced suffering. This is accomplished through use of unconditional self-acceptance (USA), unconditional other-acceptance (UOA), and unconditional life-acceptance (ULA).
With my approach to REBT, I incorporate author Stephen Covey’s concepts regarding the circles of control, influence, and concern, as well as an area of no concern. UA maps onto the circle of control (USA), circle of influence (UOA), and circle of concern and area of no concern (ULA).
The circle of control encompasses only oneself, the circle of influence encapsulates elements which may be subject to one’s sway, the circle of concern engrosses most matters one can imagine, and the area of no concern relates to all content which isn’t yet imagined.
Given this framing of the paramount techniques regarding REBT, it’s worth noting that global evaluations of personhood (the fact or state of being a person—a human or an individual—as in one’s distinctive personal identity) are largely unhelpful. As such, Ellis stated (page 18):
Once you decide or choose what you desire and what you don’t desire – which, as a live human, you are presumably entitled to and able to decide – then only rate or evaluate the performances – that helped you or hindered you. They are “desirable” or “undesirable” and therefore (to you) “good” or “bad.”
However! Do not rate or evaluate your global self or being. Don’t label your entire personhood as “good” or “bad,” because you then (inaccurately) overgeneralize. By the same token (still following Korzybski) do not label other people: their self, being, essence, or soul.
They are not “good” or “bad.” But, according to your preferences and desires (and the social standards of the community in which they live) their behaviors can be viewed as “good” or “bad.”
Maybe you say to yourself, “I’m good! Wait… no. I’m bad!” Perhaps instead of globally evaluating, don’t label your entire personhood as “good” or “bad,” and see what outcome you experience. After all, you’re merely a fallible human being who’s capable of acting good or bad.
If you’re looking for a provider who tries to work to help 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 try 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 trying to help you to feel better, I want to try to help you get better!
Deric Hollings, LPC, LCSW
Photo credit (edited), Designed by Magnific, fair use
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