The Future of the World Is in Your Hands

[DISCLAIMER]

Photo credit, property of Orion Pictures, fair use

Not having seen it since the year in which the film was released, I recently re-watched the dance drama film featuring New York City hip hop culture of the early 1980s, Beat Street (1984). Over four decades since I last saw it, I’d forgotten most of the content from the movie.

That is with one exception. At the end of the film, when eclectic elements of hip hop came together in only the way for which the subculture’s infancy could be forgiven (think All That Jazz meets Breakin’), lyrics of “Beat Street Breakdown” were quickly recalled from my distant memory.

Featured in the film by an offshoot of Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five who performed at a hip hop memorial service, the legendary Grandmaster Melle Mel rapped the lyrics of “Beat Street Breakdown”. At the end of the song, I was surprised to have remembered the following:

The peoples in terror, the leaders made the error

And now they can’t even look in the mirror

‘Cause we gotta suffer while things get rougher

And that’s the reason why we got to get tougher

To learn from the past and work for the future

And don’t be a slave to no computer

‘Cause the children of man inherits the land

And the future of the world is in your hands

Viewing the decades old lyrics through the lens of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT), two demandingness phrases stand out to me. When stating that “we gotta suffer” and “we got to get tougher,” it’s as though Melle Mel says that people should, must, or ought to do as he demands.

When providing psychoeducational lessons on the ABC model of REBT, I invite people to consider that there are inflexible and flexible types of demandingness. Generally, people self-disturb with use of absolutistic and conditional should beliefs which are inflexible.

For example, “We gotta suffer, and there’s no other option,” is a form of an absolute demand. As well, “If suffering will be experienced in life, then we got to get tougher,” is representative of a conditional demand. The key with both of these beliefs is their rigidity.

Suppose that people ignore Melle Mel’s inflexible demands. Will he simply shrug off the perceived slight? Unlikely. When rigidity is used, people upset themselves with inflexible demandingness beliefs.

Alternatively, although still serving as a form of prescription rather than description, flexible use of recommendatory, preferential, ideal, empirical, moral and ethical, and legal should beliefs doesn’t necessarily cause self-upset. Here, rigidity versus flexibility makes a difference.

For instance, “I recommend that we got to get tougher, though the choice is yours.” Also, “Preferably, things wouldn’t get rougher; though because they’re growing ever more complicated, we gotta suffer.”

Likewise, “We ideally shouldn’t suffer, though suffering is inherent in life.” As well, “It’s empirically true that all human beings must suffer at some point in life.” Further, “Morally speaking, we ought not to suffer, though ethically, we simply must, because such is life.”

In addition, “Since torture is prohibited by law, one legally mustn’t inflict intentional suffering of this sort upon another individual.” Demandingness that isn’t of the absolutistic or conditional variety leaves available options (as well as rational consequences) for making flexible decisions.

Presuming you understand the different forms of demandingness, the future of the world is in your hands when faced with suffering which is inherent in life. What will your future look like? You recommendatorily gotta get tougher. Otherwise, you will likely unnecessarily suffer.

In conclusion, it’s been over four decades since I last saw Beat Street. Thankfully, the future of my world has been within my hands, and I’ve made appropriate changes to reduce suffering. As for the rest of the world, I never had much control or influence in that regard (and neither do 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

References:

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