The More You Know

[DISCLAIMER]

Photo credit, property of NBCUniversal, fair use

A number of friends and I used to send text messages to one another which contained emojis of a rainbow and a shooting star. It was our way of saying “the more you know.” Perhaps some context is needed.

One source states, “The More You Know is a series of public service announcements (PSAs) broadcast on the NBCUniversal family of networks in the United States and other locations, featuring educational messages.” Apparently, my friends and I once watched a lot of television.

Hailing from the same era, we valued an “each one, teach one” approach to life whereby we taught one another moral and ethical lessons which comprised our worldview values. According to a separate source:

As PSAs evolved, they often doubled down on their own implicit paternalism by targeting themselves to children. In the 1980s, cartoons like He-Man and the Masters of the Universe and G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero used PSAs as their show-closing epilogues. (“Knowing,” Joe jauntily informed a generation, “is half the battle.”)

For instance, as a PSA among friends, friend X would text me something like, “I can’t believe I just went off on this person in traffic!” In response, I’d say something along the lines of, “Oh, you CAN believe it! This ISN’T the first time you’ve self-disturbed! [rainbow and star emoji]”

Something about a shooting star with a rainbow trailing it was funny to me. Along with a psychoeducational lesson on Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT), I conveyed to friend X familiarity of our childhood. Times were simpler during the days of He-Man and G.I. Joe!

For context, REBT uses the ABC model to illustrate that 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. This is known as self-disturbance.

As an example, someone cut off friend X when driving (Action) and my friend unhelpfully Believed, “This shouldn’t have happened, because people must respect me, so I ought to teach this motherfucka a lesson!” With that demanding narrative, friend X went off (Consequence).

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.

One unpleasant commonality between friend X and I is that we had both experienced road rage at one point or another in our lives (some more than others). Thus, I’d sometimes send a follow-up text saying something like, “You can control ONLY your reaction. [rainbow and star emoji]”

For context, REBT uses unconditional acceptance (UA) to relieve self-induced suffering which causes one to go off in traffic. This is accomplished through use of unconditional self-acceptance (USA), unconditional other-acceptance (UOA), and unconditional life-acceptance (ULA).

Whereas the ABC model is a scientific approach to wellness, UA serves as a philosophical method for un-disturbing yourself. I view the former as an abortive approach to disturbance and the latter as a preventative method. Of course, not all REBT practitioners use the same style as I.

With my approach to REBT, I incorporate author Stephen Covey’s concepts regarding the circles of control, influence, and concern, as well as an area of no concern. UA maps onto the circle of control (USA), circle of influence (UOA), and circle of concern and area of no concern (ULA).

The circle of control encompasses only oneself, the circle of influence encapsulates elements which may be subject to one’s sway, the circle of concern engrosses most matters one can imagine, and the area of no concern relates to all content which isn’t yet imagined.

Reinforcing the REBT-infused PSA texts I’d sent previously, friend X knew of how little control (USA) and influence (UOA) people have in life. As well, my friend understood that we live in an imperfect world (ULA). Ergo, a text punctuated with a rainbow and star emoji was a prompt.

It was akin to one of the characters from G.I. Joe saying, “Knowing is half the battle.” The other half of the mental, emotional, and behavioral health skirmish was applying REBT lessons through daily practice. (When I say “daily,” I mean every… single… day!)

Recently, I was reminded of those PSA texts when listing to an electronic dance music (EDM) DJ set by Dramer. I enjoy when subtle reminders are unveiled in this manner, especially when themes begin to develop (e.g., a shooting star emoji and a song reference to shooting stars.)

Dramer played “Shooting Stars” by Australian EDM duo Bag Raiders. The track was originally featured on the duo’s EP, Turbo Love! (2008), though it was re-released in 2010 on Big Raiders. In part, lyrics state:

It’s late and I’m awake, starin’ at the wall

Open up my window, head floats out the door

No one else around, the shimmer takes my eye

I lift my head, blinded by the sky

Feel my weight in front, followin’ the sound

Moves away so fast, fall down to the ground

I know there’s more to come, jump back to my feet

Now, I only see ahead of me, chasin’ down the street

(Down the street, down the street, down the street, down the street, down the…)

Through the lens of REBT, my interpretation of the cited lyrics regards how you can lose your head when you’re self-disturbed. One moment, things are going along as usual. The next moment, you’re chasin’ after yourself while trying to get your head on straight!

Friend X and I know a thing or two about how quickly this can happen in traffic when one doesn’t practice the ABC model and UA. Herein, I’ve provided the necessary tools so that you don’t have to lose your head in such a way. The more you know! [rainbow and star emoji]

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 EDM-influenced REBT psychotherapist—promoting content related to EDM, 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

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