When Are Beliefs Rational or Healthy?

[DISCLAIMER]

When providing psychoeducational lessons on Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT), I invite people to consider beliefs which are rational (in accordance with both logic and reason) and healthy (subjectively beneficial to one’s own physical, mental, or emotional state).

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.

In particular, there are four predominate irrational beliefs which people often use to upset themselves: global evaluations, low frustration tolerance, awfulizing, and demandingness. When contemplating these unproductive beliefs, think of the acronym GLAD.

For example, you discover that I consume meat products (Action) and Believes, “Deric is worthless [G], and I can’t stand that he eats meat [L], because it’s awful to ingest animal flesh [A], so he shouldn’t do so [D],” as this inflexible script then causes disgust (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.

Noteworthy, when undergoing formal training for REBT, a trainer with the Albert Ellis Institute (AEI) advised trainees that we recommendatorily should clarify what constitutes “rational” or “healthy” beliefs when working with people. For clarity, one REBT source states (page 54):

We have seen that in REBT, beliefs are rational or healthy if they meet three criteria:

·  They are true [being in accordance with the actual state of affairs].

·  They are logical [formally true or valid].

·  They have healthy consequences [a conclusion derived through logic].

With this understanding, I invite you to consider the subjectivity involved with my meat-eating example. I maintain that it’s rational for humans to consume meat products. Among other reasons, we have evolved to do so. As well, I’m healthier when eating meat products.

However, for the sake of argument, let’s suppose you value a vegan nutritional plan. As such, you maintain that it’s irrational for humans to consume meat products, irrespective of evolutionary postulations. Thus, you posit that eating meat is an unhealthy act for everyone.

This difference in opinion is why the AEI trainer recommended that trainees clarify what constitutes “rational” or “healthy” beliefs. What I view as rational and healthy is subjective, and vice versa. Given this foundation, when are beliefs rational or healthy? It depends.

I believe it’s true that an omnivore diet is ideal for my particular circumstances. Using a modus ponens syllogism (if p, then q; p; therefore, q), I maintain that my perspective is logical.

For instance, if I feel better, both physically and psychologically, when consuming meat products (p), then eating meat is a rational and healthy act for me (q). I feel better, both physically and psychologically, when consuming meat products (p). Therefore, eating meat is a rational and healthy act for me (q).

Finally, when ingesting meat products, I enjoy healthy consequences such as an improved level of functioning and quality of life. Nonetheless, you may vehemently disagree with what I consider true, logical, and healthy in consequence regarding my own lifestyle choices.

Herein is the takeaway. I’m not advocating the consumption of meat for anyone other than me. Hence, my beliefs are subject to the principle of personal responsibility and accountability (collectively “ownership”). In essence, I take personal ownership for my own choices.

I’m not rigidly demanding what you must eat. Consequently, my beliefs are rational and healthy when I use them only in relation to how I choose to live my life. Yet, if I were to demand that you must believe or behave as I do regarding your life, then that wouldn’t be rational or healthy.

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

Photo credit, fair use

References:

AEI. (n.d.). The Albert Ellis Institute. Albert Ellis Institute. Retrieved from https://albertellis.org/

APA Dictionary of Psychology. (2018, April 19). Disgust. American Psychological Association. Retrieved from https://dictionary.apa.org/disgust

Asier_relampagoestudio. (n.d.). Young Latin man wearing earrings isolated contemplating planning a strategy […] [Image]. Freepik. Retrieved from https://www.freepik.com/premium-photo/young-latin-man-wearing-earrings-isolated-contemplating-planning-strategy-thinking_145891579.htm#fromView=search&page=1&position=45&uuid=ba9cb35b-bd5a-4188-94bb-edb830831ab1&query=curious

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