Nothing but Opinion Is the Cause of a Troubled Mind and Uneasiness

[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.

Today’s lesson on Stoicism regards opinions (subjective, and often invalid and/or unreliable, views, judgments, or appraisals formed in the mind about a particular matter). Regarding this matter, authors of The Daily Stoic quote Stoic philosopher Epictetus who stated (page 252):

For nothing outside my reasoned choice can hinder or harm it—my reasoned choice alone can do this to itself. If we would lean this way whenever we fail, and would blame only ourselves and remember that nothing but opinion is the cause of a troubled mind and uneasiness, then by God, I swear we would be making progress.

Epictetus argued that it isn’t what happens in life, though one’s opinions regarding what happens, that causes a “troubled mind.” In REBT, this Belief-Consequence (B-C) connection is illustrated by the ABC model. For clarity, I invite you to consider the following explanation.

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 occurrence 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 upset themselves: global evaluations, low frustration tolerance, awfulizing, and demandingness. When contemplating these unproductive beliefs, think of the acronym GLAD.

Additionally, from a psychological standpoint, people distress or disturb themselves using a B-C connection. Of course, this isn’t to suggest that in the context of the naturalistic or physical world there is no Action-Consequence (A-C) connection.

To provide an example of the A-C and B-C distinction, some context may be useful. According to one source:

President Trump has taken on many ancillary roles in Washington: chairman of the Kennedy Center. The de facto chief architect of the city’s landmark properties. And now, the nation’s chief intelligence analyst.

This revelation came from Tulsi Gabbard, the director of national intelligence [DNI]. She had the unenviable task at a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on Wednesday [3/18/2026] of squaring Mr. Trump’s comments about an urgent nuclear threat from Iran with a letter from one of her trusted aides that the country posed no “imminent threat.”

Within my blog, I’ve been outspoken with my opinions regarding the current United States (U.S.) and Israel war against Iran. Likewise, I’ve shared a number of criticisms concerning DNI Gabbard’s apparent abdication of her duties to the U.S. public.

While I expect U.S. President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to deceive the world about their intentions involving the Middle East—as both partook in genocide and ethnic cleansing, Gabbard previously advocated peace. However, according to one source:

Joe Kent is under investigation in connection with alleged leaks of classified information, with sources telling CBS that the probe began before his departure as US National Counterterrorism Center director.

Announcing his resignation on Tuesday [3/17/2026], Kent said he could not support the war in Iran “in good conscience” and that the country [Iran] “posed no imminent threat” to the US - a claim the White House dismissed. […]

In a letter addressed to President Trump announcing his resignation, Kent said it was “clear” the war in Iran was started “due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby”.

Gabbard was ostensibly Kent’s boss before he submitted his letter of resignation. And while I don’t typically applaud the behavior of spooks (members of the intelligence apparatus)—which Gabbard and Kent are, I appreciate Kent’s moral and ethical resignation regarding this war.

For some time, I’ve held the opinion that Gabbard’s behavior is something akin to Kali (a major goddess in Hinduism, primarily associated with time, death, and destruction). Here, I draw an important distinction between a fallible human being and one’s behavior.

Although Gabbard’s apparent support of the Trump administration’s execution of war in Iran is behavior about which I hold negative opinions, she is not her actions. Gabbard is merely an imperfect person who, to me, seems to have behavior reflecting that of Kali.

From an A-C perspective, Kent submitted his letter of resignation in protest of the Iran war (Action), as he is no longer employed by the U.S. government (Consequence). Perhaps all spooks could honorably follow in Kent’s steps, though that isn’t likely to occur.

Now, imagine that I self-disturbed using a B-C connection. Gabbard behaves like Kali (Action) and I held the opinion (i.e., Believe), “Gabbard is worthless [G], and she makes me sick [L]! It’s horrible how she’s supporting this war [A], because she should resign, like Kent did [D]!”

When using that imagined GLAD script, I’d likely become enraged (Consequence). From an Epictetian perspective, it’s my opinion about the situation that causes this unpleasant outcome.

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, Epictetus’s outlook advocated personal responsibility and accountability (collectively “ownership”). For improved understanding, responsibility is defined as the quality or state of being responsible, such as a moral, legal, or mental accountability.

Here, “responsible” is defined as liable to be called to account as the primary cause, motive, or agent, and being able to answer for one’s conduct and obligations—something, such as the demands of conscience or custom, that obligates one to a course of action.

Accountability is defined as the quality or state of being accountable, especially regarding an obligation or willingness to accept responsibility or to account for one’s actions. Here, “accountable” is defined as subject to giving an account—a statement explaining one’s conduct.

When providing psychoeducational lessons on REBT, a psychotherapeutic modality which arguably requires that one preferably should take personal ownership in order to reduce self-distress or self-disturbance, I lean heavily on responsibility and accountability.

This is because I maintain that people have personal agency (a person’s ability to control one’s own reactions to activating events which are beyond one’s own control, even when one’s response is limited by someone or something else). This is a matter of empowerment.

Nothing—and I mean not a single thing—that DNI Gabbard has or hasn’t done is capable of causing my troubled mind and uneasiness. Only my opinion is capable of doing that. Regarding this healthy perspective, authors of The Daily Stoic state (page 252):

Today, see if you can go without blaming a single person or single thing. Someone messes up your instructions—it’s on you for expecting anything different. Someone says something rude—it’s your sensitivity that interpreted their remark this way. Your stock portfolio takes a big loss—what did you expect making such a big bet? Why are you checking the market day to day anyway?

Blaming others for one’s own unproductive reaction is a matter to be disputed. Gabbard doesn’t cause me to be enraged any more than your stock portfolio causes you neurotic anxiety. Thus, we take personal ownership of our responses, as the authors do when stating (page 252):

Whatever it is, however bad it may be, see whether you can make it a whole day laying it all on your reasoned choice. If you can’t make it for a day, see if you can make it for an hour. If not for an hour, then for ten minutes. Start where you need to. Even one minute without playing the blame game is progress in the art of living.

Tulsi Gabbard isn’t to blame for my opinions or associated reactions regarding the Iran war. Of course, this doesn’t absolve her from personal or collective ownership for our nation’s appeasement to Israel by jointly and unconstitutionally aggressing upon the nation of Iran.

I maintain that war crimes likely have been committed thus far, as DNI Gabbard may one day face justice for her participation in such matters. Nevertheless, she isn’t to blame for my reaction to these circumstances. Nothing but opinion is the cause of a troubled mind and uneasiness.

In all honestly, I’m healthily distressed (e.g., frustrated) though not unhealthily disturbed (e.g., enraged) by my opinions regarding our nation and its support of Netanyahu. If Gabbard chooses to behave like Kali when supporting this endeavor, my mind isn’t intolerably troubled or uneasy.

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, Designed by Freepik, fair use

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