Pigs, Hypothetically Speaking

[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 a personal anecdote regarding a hypothetical syllogism. In order to do this, some context is necessary. In high school, I befriended members of the Crips and Sureños street gangs that were allied with one another in Bomb City, though I was never an affiliated member.

Back then, my friends and I referred to members of law enforcement (LE) as the hooda, five-O, popos, one-time, pigs, and other slang terms. As one can imagine, there was a contentious relationship between gangbangers and LE, and I unnecessarily chose the side of my friends.

During that time, the first track on the debut studio album Cypress Hill (1991), by hip hop group Cypress Hill, was “Pigs” which was produced by DJ Muggs. Also, the track featured samples by Chuck Cornish’s “Ali Funky Thing” (1974) and The Bizzie Boyz’s “Droppin’ It” (1990).

Although Cypress Hill rapper B-Real was allegedly from a rival gang, my gangster friends set aside their gang-affiliated differences and enjoyed Cypress Hill. Notably, they reveled in the lyrics of “Pigs” in which B-Real states of LE when referring to police as “pigs”:

This pig, he’s a big punk

And I know that he can’t stand the sight of me

‘Cause pigs don’t like it when ya’ act smart

And when ya’ tell ‘em that you’re a group from society

This pig works for the mafia

Makin’ some money off crack

But this little pig got caught

So when he gets to the pen, it’s all about the payback

‘Cause once he gets to the pen

They won’t provide the little pig with a bulletproof vest

To protect him from some mad nigga

Who he shot in the chest and placed under arrest

And it’s all about bacon or sausage

Do ya’ feel sorry for the poor little swine?

Niggas wanna’ do him in the ass

Just to pay his ass back, so they’re standin’ in line

That fuckin’ pig!

Disdain for LE is apparent in the lyrics, and doesn’t require much commentary on my part. Rather, I’ll offer a different perspective regarding my decision to have joined the United States Marine Corps with a guaranteed contract for military police (MP) in 1996.

My gangbanger friends expressed pride in the notion that I’d one day become a Marine. In fact, one of my Sureño friends told me, “Simón, ese, the Marines are chingones,” which roughly translates to “right on, man, the Marines are bad-asses!” Yet, that pride dissipated quickly.

When I informed my friends that I’d chosen to become an MP, as involvement with the Amarillo Police Department provided plenty of opportunity to know how not to treat suspects of crime—and I planned on being a “good” cop, it was understood that my friends and I had to part ways.

There was a strict no-fraternization edict from the parent international criminal organization that governed the Crips and Sureños who I befriended. As such, I accepted the hypothetical syllogistic belief that underlay that decision and resulting outcome.

Form –

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

Example –

If gang members were forbidden from associating with LE (p), then my friends couldn’t associate with an MP (q).

If my friends couldn’t associate with an MP (q), then they couldn’t maintain contact with me—a pig (r).

Therefore, if gang members were forbidden from associating with LE (p), then they couldn’t maintain contact with me—a pig (r).

Although I wasn’t self-disturbed by my beliefs about the hypothetical scenario, I was somewhat self-distressed (i.e., sadness). As such, joining the Marine Corps and becoming a “pig” was a matter of chosen suffering. Favorably, I was able to increase my level of resilience thereafter.

Now, I offer this anecdote to you so that you can consider whether or not you’re able to strengthen your level of high frustration tolerance when enduring unpleasant circumstances. Also, if you’d like to know more about REBT, then I look forward to hearing from you.

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

References:

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