Seeing RED

[DISCLAIMER]

Photo credit, artist: Ammotu, fair use

In my youth, I was a fan of the X-Men—a superhero team in comic books which were published by Marvel Comics. Although not my favorite of the team, I appreciated character Cyclops about whom one source states:

Cyclops is a member of a subspecies of humans known as mutants, born with superhuman abilities. Cyclops emits powerful beams of energy from his eyes and can only control the beams with the aid of special eyewear, which he must always wear. He is typically considered the first of the X-Men, a team of mutant heroes who fight for peace and equality between mutants and humans, and one of the team’s primary leaders.

When I was younger, I imagined that Scott Summers (mutant name “Cyclops”) saw everything with a reddish tint. However, one source claims:

During Grant Morrison’s run (New X-Men), he basically implied that through his [Cyclops] normal vision, he sees everything in shades of red. But because of the Ruby Quartz, the normal red he sees somehow gets refracted, such that he sees everything in shades of yellow when wearing his visor.

Thus, Cyclops apparently sees things with a reddish tint unless wearing his protective visor. As the lore goes, per one source, in his youth and until he learned how to control his superpower “Scott’s mutant power erupted from his eyes as an uncontrollable blast of optic force.”

As a child, I identified with Scott’s seemingly uncontrolled anger, rage, hostility, aggression, and violence. Back then, I used to repeat an oft-heard phrase relating to such a condition. Perhaps you’ve also heard of people “seeing red” when angry. Regarding this matter, one source states:

The expression “seeing red” refers to a rare effect of becoming so furious that one’s vision temporarily becomes tinted red, and studies have indicated that people who are angry are more likely to say there is red in a neutral image.

Granting that it’s been years since I was self-disturbed to the degree whereby I could vouch for the validity of the “seeing red” claim, and considering that one’s memory is reconstructive, I think I recall red-tinted vision throughout life. Also, data from the referenced “studies” indicates:

In a study examining humankind’s ancient association of the colour red with anger, aggression and danger, researchers found that, when shown images that were neither fully red nor fully blue, people with hostile personalities were much more likely to see red.

Within my blog, I’ve made no secret of the fact that my personality tends toward that of a hostile nature. For me, seeing red was once commonplace. Like Scott, I eventually required a protective intervention strategy to keep from destroying various elements of my life (e.g., relationships).

Whereas Cyclops received a ruby quartz visor, I used Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT). For context, this helpful psychotherapeutic modality incorporates two main techniques.

The first tool of REBT is the ABC model which illustrates that when an undesirable Action occurs and one Believes an unhelpful narrative about the event, it’s one’s unfavorable assumption and not the occurrence itself that causes an unpleasant Consequence.

Although people maintain all sorts of wacky beliefs, there are generally four predominate irrational beliefs which people often use to self-disturb: global evaluation, low frustration tolerance, awfulizing, and demandingness.

Anecdotally, the main self-disturbing belief throughout my lifetime relates to demandingness which is often expressed through use of should, must, or ought-type narratives. Not uncommonly, these unaccommodating assumptions reflect requirements and expectations.

Perhaps brief definition of these terms is in order. A requirement is something essential to the existence or occurrence of something else. An expectation is something considered bound in duty or obligated. A demand is something claimed as due or owed.

When thinking of Scott’s unbridled beam of destruction that emanates from his eyes in the form of a red energy, I view requirement, expectation, and demandingness (RED) as that which causes self-disturbance on a psychological level. For clarity, consider the following example.

As a teenager, when cut off by other motorists while driving (Action), I unproductively Believed, “I require the courtesy that I ought to receive,” “I expect to be treated how I assume I should be treated,” or, “I demand that others mustn’t enter into the same lane in which I’m traveling!”

If I’m going to be honest herein, I likely maintained any of these RED Beliefs when telling myself something more in alignment with, “Who the fuck do these assholes think they are!? They shouldn’t test me! In fact, I’m gonna teach them exactly who they’re fuckin’ with!”

With that attitude, I disturbed myself into unhealthy anger, vindictive rage, dangerous hostility, unfavorable aggression, and illegal violence as I saw red and (may or may not have) participated in erratic driving (Consequence). The ABC model targets these types of RED beliefs.

Addressing how people upset themselves with unhelpful assumptions, the ABC model incorporates Disputation of unproductive assumptions in order to explore Effective new beliefs. Rather than seeing RED, the ABC model could’ve helped me like Cyclops’s visor helped him.

The second tool of REBT is unconditional acceptance (UA) to relieve suffering. This is accomplished through use of unconditional self-acceptance, unconditional other-acceptance, and unconditional life-acceptance.

Personally, daily practice of UA has been most helpful at reducing self-disturbed anger attributed to RED beliefs. As such, I prefer shades of yellow to red-tinted vision, à la the helpful visor Cyclops wears which controls Scott’s imbalanced power.

Admittedly a nerdy perspective, I hope that you find this relatively brief psychoeducational lesson on REBT both humorous and enlightening so that you can see things clearly. If you’d like to know more about the ABC model and UA, then I look forward to hearing from you.

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

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