So I was busy going through my Counseling notes when I found Albert Ellis's theory on Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy (REBT) and found 11 irrational beliefs in which he believed irrational thinking causes emotional and behavioral changes.
Basically what he meant was that, what we think, not what happened, will cause how we feel, and most of the time we think irrationally which causes our misery and problems.
Here are the 11 Irrational Beliefs that causes us misery:
1. An adult human must be loved or approved by almost everyone.
2. In order to feel worthwhile, a person must be competent in all possible respects.
3. Some people are bad or wicked and therefore should be blamed and punished
4.When things are not the way you want them to be, it is a catastrophe.
5. People have little or no control over the external causes of the bad things that happen to them.
6. The best way to handle a dangerous or fear-producing event is to worry about it and dwell on it.
7. It is easier to avoid certain life difficulties and responsibilities than it is to face them.
8. One needs to depend on others and to rely on someone stronger than oneself.
9. One's present behavior is determined primarily by one's past history.
10. One should be upset by the problems of others.
11. There is always a perfect solution to a human problem, and it is essential to find it.
Basically, Ellis states that by removing these irrational thinking and input more rational thinking we would be happier. This is not too far from the truth. Our thoughts do cause our feelings, and what we think is how we perceive the world. People who don't give a damn are happy in a sense that they don' t think whats happening to them is awful, its not awful to them when things don't work their way. Some people think that its the end of the world when things are not right for them.
Here is an example of how irrational and rational thinking changes our behavior, emotion and actions:
However, this theory doesn't explain and solve all human problems. It's just one step closer for us to understand the power of belief and that we are essentially what we think about. And like Ellis stated above, rationally thinking, there is not always a perfect solution to a human problem, and it is not essential to find it.
So have you got rid of your irrational thinking?
