Photo credit, property of Python (Monty) Pictures, fair use
Recently, I was reminded of a scene from Monty Python and the Holy Grail during which Sir Bedevere the Wise uses flawed logic with an unreasonable crowd to support an irrational decision when falsely accusing a woman of being a witch. Dialogue includes the following:
Crowd: A witch! We found a witch! Burn her!
First villager: We have found a witch. May we burn her?
Crowd: A Witch! Burn her!
Sir Bedevere: How do you know she is a witch?
Crowd: She looks like one. Yes, she does.
Sir Bedevere: Bring her forward.
(They bring her forward, dressed up as a witch)
Woman: I am not a witch. I am not a witch.
Sir Bedevere: But you are dressed as one.
Woman: They dressed me up like this.
Crowd: We didn’t, we didn’t!
Woman: And this is not my nose; it is a false one.
(Sir Bedevere takes off the fake nose)
Sir Bedevere: Well?
First villager: … Well, we did do the nose.
Sir Bedevere: The nose?
First villager: And the hat. But she is a witch.
Crowd: A witch, a witch, burn her!
Sir Bedevere: Did you dress her up like this?
First villager: … Um … yes … no … a bit … yes… she has got a wart.
Sir Bedevere: What makes you think she is a witch?
Second villager: Well, she turned me into a newt.
Sir Bedevere: A newt?
Second villager (after looking at himself for some time): I got better.
Crowd: Burn her!
Sir Bedevere: Quiet! Quiet! There are ways of telling whether she is a witch.
Crowd: Are there? What are they, tell us.
Sir Bedevere: Tell me … what do you do with witches?
Crowd: Burn them.
Sir Bedevere: And what do you burn, apart from witches?
First village: More witches!
Fourth villager: … Wood?
Sir Bedevere: So why do witches burn?
Second villager: … Because they’re made of wood…?
Sir Bedevere: Good.
Crowd: I see. Yes, of course.
Sir Bedevere: So how can we tell if she is made of wood?
First villager: Build a bridge out of her.
Sir Bedevere: Ah … but can you not also make bridges out of stone?
Crowd: Ah. Oh, yeah.
Sir Bedevere: Does wood sink in water?
Crowd: No, no, it floats. Throw her in the pond. Tie weights on her. To the pond!
Sir Bedevere: What also floats on water?
Crowd: Bread? No, no, no. Apples …. gravy … very small rocks …
King Arthur: A duck.
(They all turn and look at King Arthur. Sir Bedevere looks up very impressed)
Sir Bedevere: Exactly. So… logically …
First villager (beginning to pick up the thread): If she … weighs the same as a duck … she’s made of wood.
Sir Bedevere: And therefore?
Crowd: A witch! … A duck! A duck! Fetch a duck.
Sir Bedevere: We shall use my largest scales.
(Sir Bedevere leads them to a strange contraption made of wood, rope, and leather. They put the woman in one pan and the duck in another. Each pan is supported by a wooden stave. Sir Bedevere checks each pan as King Arthur looks on with interest)
Sir Bedevere: Remove the supports.
(Two villagers knock away wooden supports with sledge hammers. The woman and the duck swing slightly but balance perfectly)
Crowd: A witch! A witch!
Woman: It’s a fair cop.
Crowd: Burn her! Burn her!
(The villagers drag the girl away, leaving King Arthur and Sir Bedevere regarding each other admiringly)
Noteworthy, when the woman is carried away by an unreasonable crowd, apparently having been “proven” to have been a witch by weighing the same as a duck, the audience is shown that Sir Bedevere the Wise’s scales are unbalanced when the woman and duck are removed, and that the duck’s pan was heavier to begin with.
Therefore, not only did the crowd wrongfully accuse a woman of witchcraft, Sir Bedevere used illogical and unreasonable argumentation along with questionable other methods. Noteworthy, that which doesn’t comport with logic and reason is considered irrational.
When practicing Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) with clients, I listen closely for unfavorable assumptions of irrationality. As well, and despite Sir Bedevere’s flawed use of challenging, I question rigid personal philosophies to determine what is true and real.
REBT theory uses the ABC model to illustrate how when Activating events (“Actions”) occur and people maintain irrational Beliefs about the events, these unhelpful assumptions – and not the actual occurrences – are what create unpleasant cognitive, emotive, bodily sensation, and behavioral Consequences.
In particular, there are four predominate irrational beliefs which people use: demandingness, awfulizing, low frustration tolerance, and global evaluations. Addressing these, the ABC model incorporates Disputation of unhelpful assumptions in order to explore Effective new beliefs.
From a psychological standpoint, people disturb themselves using a Belief-Consequence (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.
As an example, if a faulty scale is used (Action), a woman may weigh as much as a duck (Consequence). In the naturalistic world, the rules of physics apply and may lead to determinable outcomes.
On the other hand, if a member of an unreasonable crowd falsely accuses a woman of witchcraft (Action) while unproductively Believing, “She shouldn’t exist,” then the crowd member will likely self-disturb into fearful emotion and murderous behavior (Consequence). Forbid!
Thus, I help people to stop upsetting themselves through use of B-C connections, though I can’t fully resolve their A-C connections. Unlike Sir Bedevere’s imperfect use of the Socratic method, I seek to help people challenge predetermined assumptions rather than reinforcing them.
I was recently reminded of the Monty Python scene when learning of what television news host Rachel Maddow recently stated about the potential of former president Donald Trump likely being democratically-elected for President of the United States (U.S.) once again. In a CNN interview, Maddow stated:
I’m worried about the country broadly if we put someone in power who is openly avowing that he plans to build camps to hold millions of people, and to “root out” what he’s described in subhuman terms as his “enemy from within.” Again, history is helpful here. He’s not joking when he says this stuff, and we’ve seen what happens when people take power proclaiming that kind of agenda.
Maddow isn’t the only person I’ve heard evoking Godwin’s law—an Internet adage asserting: “As an online discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approaches 1.” Honestly, it’s not as though I did… not see… that coming.
Remarkably, I’ve heard people in my personal and professional life express fear associated with their irrational awfulizing and low frustration tolerance beliefs regarding Trump supposedly preparing to send U.S. citizens to concentration camps. It’s an absurd claim.
In Sir Bedevere fashion, though using a rational basis for investigation, I’ve questioned people’s beliefs about the validity of their argument that contrasts Trump with Hitler. Objectively, Trump occupied the presidential office for four years and didn’t create concentration camps.
However, I may as well receive responses stating that Trump floats, Hitler floated, and therefore Trump is a maniacal dictator hell-bent on exterminating his opponents. For some people, there is no logic or reason that will counter their asinine narratives.
For context to Maddow’s “root out” claim, on November 11, 2023, Trump stated:
We will root out the communists, Marxists, fascists, and the radical left thugs that live like vermin within the confines of our country, that lie and steal and cheat on elections and will do anything possible…they’ll do anything, whether legally or illegally, to destroy America and to destroy the American dream. The real threat is not from the radical Right. The real threat is from the radical Left, and it’s growing every day – every single day. The threat from outside forces is far less sinister, dangerous, and grave than the threat from within. Our threat is from within.
Admittedly, this is a poor choice of words. When a leader compares one’s opponents to vermin or other non-human entities, much as Hitler did, the individual opens oneself up to criticism in relation to Nazi propaganda.
For instance, consider how one source reported, “Israel’s Ambassador to Berlin Ron Prosor said the Western world must stand with Israel as it fights the ‘bloodthirsty animals’ of Hamas.” Dehumanization, whether reflective of vermin or animals, is largely unnecessary.
In any case, a poor choice of words doesn’t a concentrate camp produce. Nevertheless, appearances from behavior may have more of an impact than poorly-selected words. As an example, consider that one source reports:
Oher crimes against humanity committed by Israel, the [United Nations] authors said, included the “extermination, murder, gender persecution targeting Palestinian men and boys, forcible transfer of the population, torture, and inhuman and cruel treatment.”
Imagine a governmental authority committing such atrocities! Of course, imagination is necessary in Trump’s case, because there’s no evidence from his previous presidency that he will act as Israel’s government is currently purported to behave.
Yet, I digress. Regarding Maddow’s “enemy from within” comment attributed to Trump, the former president stated on June 6, 2024:
We have the enemy from within, and we have the enemy from the outside. And I’m telling you, we are in more danger from the enemy from within. With these lunatics, these fascists, these communists, and we’re going to stop that also.
Apparently, Trump retained his rhetorical talking points, this time without comparing his opponents to “vermin.” One imagines that scaling back on hyperbole isn’t something Hitler would’ve done.
Nevertheless, I understand that some people simply refuse to consider rational arguments to irrational beliefs. When behaving as though they’re in a single collective of an unreasonable crowd, hysteria associated with illogical claims may supersede rational thinking.
This is true of friends, loved ones, clients, and others with whom I interact. Although I think it’s largely unhelpful for people to disturb themselves with outlandish rhetoric stemming from fear that’s produced by irrational beliefs, I have rational compassion for fallible human beings.
This includes people such as Hamas militants, Israeli leaders, former presidents, and television hosts. Therefore, I use unconditional acceptance to keep from self-disturbing when an irrationally-motivated and highly emotive crowd seeks to metaphorically burn a witch.
Ultimately, I remain grateful for the humorous lesson of Sir Bedevere the Wise’s attempt to live rationally, as ever-flawed as his effort may’ve been. And in that interest, I now ask: How do you know Trump is Hitler?
If you’re looking for a provider who works to help you 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 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 helping you to feel better, I want to help you get better!
Deric Hollings, LPC, LCSW
References:
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