Think Before You Act

[DISCLAIMER]

When working in the field of nuclear security, a buddy and I spent a lot of time at the shooting range. He was former Army and I was on voluntary appellate leave status with the Marine Corps, as we were both convinced that time at the range could improve our skills at securing nukes.

At that point in my life I knew little about mental, emotional, and behavioral health (collectively “mental health”). Also, I’d made more mistakes than I care to fully discuss herein (i.e., courts-martial, divorce, loss of other meaningful relationships, road rage, etc.).

What I will offer is that I didn’t often think before I behaved in this or that way. Regrettably, my unhelpful reactions had consequences. This brings me to the matters of a book that I’m steadily reading and the psychotherapeutic modality I now practice.

As Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) is informed by Stoic philosophy, this blog entry is part of an ongoing series regarding a book entitled The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living by Ryan Holiday and Stephen Hanselman.

Authors of The Daily Stoic quote ancient Roman emperor and Stoic philosopher Marcus Aurelius who stated, “Don’t be bounced around, but submit every impulse to the claims of justice, and protect your clear conviction in every appearance” (page 51).

Aurelius’s guidance is something to which I strive, yet I’m not quite at that level of achievement. Even when ignorant about mental health, I understood the value of protecting clear conviction. As an example, my buddy and I would experience ups and downs when at the shooting range.

Each time we experienced highs and lows, we reminded one another (and ourselves) that clear conviction to the main objective was more important than missed shots. As well, inclement weather wasn’t bad. Rather, it was a good opportunity to practice in realistic conditions.

Our mission was to improve our ability to manipulate various firearms so that we could more competently protect nuclear weapons. Yet, we weren’t bounced around by motions. Now, this is my approach to mental health. Regarding this topic, authors of The Daily Stoic state (page 51):

Think of the manic people in your life. Not the ones suffering from an unfortunate disorder, but the ones whose lives and choices are in disorder. Everything is soaring highs or crushing lows; the day is either amazing or awful. Aren’t those people exhausting? Don’t you wish they just had a filter through which they could test the good impulses versus the bad ones?

Testing “good” impulses against the “bad” ones, my buddy and I deliberately subjected ourselves to training scenarios in which good, neutral, and bad possibilities were inevitable. Little was I aware that our approach was akin to Stoic practice regarding control and influence.

Thinking before we acted gave my buddy and I a type of filter regarding our reactions to matters which were beyond our control as I now understand that this method relates to improvement of mental health. Concerning this matter, authors of The Daily Stoic conclude (page 51):

There is such a filter. Justice. Reason. Philosophy. If there’s a central message of Stoic thought, it’s this: impulses of all kinds are going to come, and your work is to control them, like bringing a dog to heel. Put more simply: think before you act. Ask: Who is in control here? What principles are guiding me?

Asking critical questions is in the interest of thinking before acting. Are you willing to try this productive approach to rational living. Why not shoot your proverbial shot, be it good, neutral, or bad? Therefore, I invite you to think before you act either way.

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

References:

Daily Stoic. (n.d.). Translating the Stoics: An interview with “The Daily Stoic” co-author Stephen Hanselman. Retrieved from https://dailystoic.com/stephen-hanselman-interview/

Holiday, R. and Hanselman, S. (2016). The daily stoic: 366 meditations on wisdom, perseverance, and the art of living. Penguin Random House LLC. Retrieved from https://www.pdfdrive.com/the-daily-stoic-366-meditations-on-wisdom-perseverance-and-the-art-of-living-d61378067.html

Hollings, D. (2024, August 7). Awfulizing. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/awfulizing

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Hollings, D. (2023, April 22). Control. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/control

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Hollings, D. (2024, May 26). Principles. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/principles

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Hollings, D. (2024, May 5). Psychotherapist. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/psychotherapist

Hollings, D. (2025, June 14). Pulled like a puppet by every impulse. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/pulled-like-a-puppet-by-every-impulse

Hollings, D. (2022, March 24). Rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT). Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/rational-emotive-behavior-therapy-rebt

Hollings, D. (2024, May 15). Rational living. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/rational-living

Hollings, D. (2024, October 27). Reactions have consequences. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/reactions-have-consequences

Hollings, D. (2023, March 9). Road rage. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/road-rage

Hollings, D. (2024, April 21). Stoicism. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/stoicism

Hollings, D. (2025, January 2). The distinction between law and justice. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/the-distinction-between-law-and-justice

Hollings, D. (2025, February 28). To try is my goal. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/to-try-is-my-goal

Wikipedia. (n.d.). Marcus Aurelius. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcus_Aurelius

Wikipedia. (n.d.). Ryan Holiday. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryan_Holiday