One Day It'll All Make Sense
- Deric Hollings
- 3 hours ago
- 7 min read
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.
In a submission entitled “One Day It Will All Make Sense”, authors of The Daily Stoic quote Epictetus who stated, “Whenever you find yourself blaming providence, turn it around in your mind and you will see that what has happened is in keeping with reason” (page 89).
For context, “providence” is defined as divine guidance or care; God conceived as the power sustaining and guiding human destiny. As well, “reason” is defined as a statement offered in explanation or justification.
Providing further context, when providing psychoeducational lessons on REBT, I invite people to consider thinking which is rational (in accordance with both logic and reason). “Logic” is defined as an interrelation or sequence of facts or events when seen as inevitable or predictable.
To provide an example of a statement that isn’t rational, consider the syllogistic logical form of a modus ponens example: if p, then q; p; therefor, q. Presuming truth of the premises (i.e., if p, then q), contemplate the logic and reason underlying Epictetus’s bold claim.
If God has a divine plan, then I have no actual self-determined or autonomous personal agency. I reject this irrational proposition, because it’s unfalsifiable (not capable of being proved false). Simply stated, because one can’t disprove the existence of God, one cannot prove a divine plan.
Thinking further about the title of the lesson presented by authors of The Daily Stoic, I’m reminded of the classic hip hop album by lyricist Common (formerly known as Common Sense) entitled One Day It’ll All Make Sense (1997). If you’re a fan of old school rap, you may like it.
In any event, it occurs to me that it isn’t a matter of common sense that “one day it will all make sense” regarding the problems people experience in life. Maybe it’ll all make sense one day, maybe not. Attempting to clarify this matter, authors of The Daily Stoic state (page 89):
Part of the reason we fight against the things that happen is that we’re so focused on our plan that we forget that there might be a bigger plan we don’t know about. Is it not the case that plenty of times something we thought was a disaster turned out to be, with the passage of time, a lucky break? We also forget that we’re not the only people who matter and that our loss might be someone else’s gain.
I emphatically disagree with a claim by anyone who expresses that there most definitely is a bigger plan at play within life. Of course, as not to straw man the claim by authors of The Daily Stoic, they reasonably suggest that there “might be a bigger plan.” Perhaps so, perhaps not.
My question in this regard is why waste what relatively little time one has remaining in an impermanent and uncertain existence dwelling on irrational possibilities? For instance, suppose there is no divine plan and my home is impacted by a natural disaster (e.g., a volcanic eruption).
What matter of rationality is there in discussing or debating whether or not a volcano erupted in regard to a deity’s mood that day? That’s outright nonsensical! Yet, I appreciate the inference offered by authors of The Daily Stoic, as it relates to unconditional acceptance (UA).
Perhaps one day it won’t make sense that my home was demolished as a result of a volcanic eruption. All the same, I can keep from self-disturbing with irrational beliefs about the matter by acknowledging the limits of my control and influence in life. This is a matter of rationality.
As I’ve mentioned Common’s album One Day It’ll All Make Sense, it may be worth highlighting his track “G.O.D. (Gaining One’s Definition)” in which singer, songwriter, lyricist, and record producer CeeLo Green sings:
I’ve lived and I’ve learned
I have taken and I’ve earned
I have laughed, I’ve cried
I have failed and I have tried
Sunshine, pouring rain
I just wanna be happy with being me
I appreciate CeeLo’s perspective, because – unlike what authors of The Daily Stoic ostensibly advocate – the listener is invited to consider purpose and meaning—finding one’s own plan in life and deriving worth from the positive, neutral, and negative elements regarding this path.
This is a matter of rational living, unconcerned with any unfalsifiable deity, unlike maintaining silly beliefs concerning a supposed divine plan. In any case, authors of The Daily Stoic conclude (page 89):
This sense of being wronged is a simple awareness problem. We need to remember that all things are guided by reason—but that it is a vast and universal reason that we cannot always see. That the surprise hurricane was the result of a butterfly flapping its wings a hemisphere away or that misfortune we have experienced is simply the prelude to a pleasant and enviable future.
I categorically disagree with the notion that “all things are guided by reason.” There is zero evidence to support such a claim! In fact, that’s the sort of nonsense a person says in alignment with, “There’s a reason for everything,” or, “It’s all part of God’s plan.” That’s irrational!
Alas, I can practice UA in regard to irrationality endorsed by authors of The Daily Stoic, as well as many Stoic philosophers. As such, I’m not self-disturbed when people illogically and unreasonably claim that “one day it’ll all make sense.” Maybe it won’t make sense at all!
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 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
References:
Common. (2017, January 25). G.O.D. (Gaining One’s Definition) [Video]. YouTube. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/mwxqLv49Vws?si=jeAlJFdGsV3qAY--
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