Living in the World Today: When I Feel It in My Bones

[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 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!” Significantly, 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.

Noteworthy, with my approach to care for mental, emotional, and behavioral health (collectively “mental health”), I invite people to consider mental scripts which are rational (in accordance with both logic and reason) – especially regarding events which correlate with strong feelings.

Logic is the interrelation or sequence of facts when seen as inevitable or predictable, and reason is a statement offered in explanation or justification. As such, I often use syllogisms (deductive schemes of formal argument consisting of a major and a minor premise and a conclusion).

Importantly, a syllogistic statement, proposition, or belief may be logical while simultaneously unreasonable. In this case, even though the logic consequentially follows (the conclusion is a necessary and inevitable result of previous facts or premises), it’s considered irrational.

While still functioning 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. Thus, rigidity versus flexibility makes a difference.

As well, a rigid form of irrational belief results in self-disturbance (e.g., rage) while a flexible form of rational belief results in self-distress (e.g., righteous indignation). Ergo, what one thinks, feels (i.e., emotions and sensations), and behaves reveals what type of beliefs are being used.

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.

Remarkably, natural forms of distress are tolerable (e.g., 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. In particular, I invite you to consider use of a hypothetical syllogism.

Form –

If p, then q; if q, then r; therefore, if p, then r.

Example –

Major premise: If I routinely practice REBT, then I’ll likely self-disturb less.

Minor premise: If I’ll likely self-disturb less, then I’ll probably have a better life.

Conclusion: Therefore, if I routinely practice REBT, then I’ll probably have a better life.

Now, I’ll offer other hypothetical syllogistic beliefs for your consideration. For context, I stated in a blogpost entitled Opinions “it’s my opinion that among Wu-Tang Clan members GZA is the most talented lyricist.” As GZA relates to this post, I’ll reference Liquid Swords (1995).

On that album, GZA released the track “Living in the World Today” which featured lyricists RZA and Method Man. In part, the chorus stated, “Well, if you livin’ in the world today, you be hearin’ the slang that the Wu-Tang say. Niggas that front, we don’t have them, so we blast ‘em.”

Describing the term “front,” one source states that it means to “put on a fake or false personality; not keeping it real.” As well, addressing the word “blast” in this context, one source expresses that it means to “shoot with a firearm,” as those who don’t keep it real apparently get blasted.

From the perspective of REBT, this unhelpful outcome is the result of a rigid demand. In essence, it’s as though Wu-Tang Clan members posited that people absolutely must be authentic, or else they’d be shot. This inflexible conditional belief will now serve as a hypothetical belief.

Form –

If p, then q; if q, then r; therefore, if p, then r.

Example –

If you’re living in the world today (p), then you absolutely must be authentic (q). If you absolutely must be authentic (q), then you’ll get blasted for fronting (r). Therefore, if you’re living in the world today (p), then you’ll get blasted for fronting (r).

Perhaps you incorrectly assume that rigidity of belief such as this is something of the past. After all, GZA dropped this second solo studio album when I was a senior in high school—over three decades ago! Well, I have news for you. That sort of inflexible belief continues till this day.

For example, one source reports, “President Donald Trump did not commit to a definitive timeline for the war in Iran, saying in a Friday [3/13/2026] interview that the fighting would end when he feels it ‘in my bones,” adding “the conflict will end ‘when I feel it, feel it in my bones.”

For context, one source reports that current preliminary casualty figures regarding the war (also referred to as conflict, an operation, hostilities, and other euphemisms for war) are 1,444 dead in Iran, at least 15 in Israel, 13 United States (U.S.) military personnel, and 20 killed in Gulf states.

Taking Trump’s statement at face value, when he perceives a bodily sensation only known to him, then he’ll stop leading the campaign of death throughout the Middle East regions. When contemplating this matter, I’m reminded of the introduction to GZA’s “Liquid Swords”:

When I was little, my father was famous

He was the greatest samurai in the empire

And he was the Shogun’s decapitator

He cut off the heads of a hundred and thirty-one lords

It was a bad time for the empire

The Shogun just stayed inside his castle, and he never came out

People said his brain was infected by devils

How anyone considers Trump’s methodology anything other than irrational is anybody’s guess. Still, since I’m “living in the world today” while people are subjected to senseless slaughter at Trump’s behest, I may as well examine his method which is based on a hypothetical belief.

Form –

If p, then q; if q, then r; therefore, if p, then r.

Example –

If Trump has the ability to stop warmongering behavior (p), then he can refuse to attack other nations that haven’t targeted the continental U.S. (q). If he can refuse to attack other nations that haven’t targeted the continental U.S. (q), then Trump will do so when he feels it in his bones (r). Therefore, if Trump has the ability to stop warmongering behavior (p), then Trump will do so when he feels it in his bones (r).

I don’t know about Trump’s brain being “infected with devils.” Yet, there appears to be a rational case for his mind being subject to irrationality. Of course, my irrational hope for this war to end soon isn’t much different than Trump’s apparent reliance on his bodily sensations.

Alas, I’ll practice unconditional acceptance, as to keep from experiencing the same outcome endured by the Shogun on the Liquid Swords track. How about you? What steps along the path of rational existence do you take when living in the world today? (Do they involve your bones?)

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

Photo credit, fair use

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