Photo credit, property of Hasbro, fair use
In childhood, I was a fan of the G.I. Joe media franchise and its line of action figures. Aside from frequently watching the animated series on television, I owned a number of toys associated with the franchise. One of my most prized possessions was a hand-me-down Cobra Night Raven.
Unaware of the indoctrination taking place at that time in my life, I enjoyed how at the end of G.I. Joe episodes various characters would provide moral and ethical lessons. Punctuating these teachings, G.I Joe personnel would say, “Knowing is half the battle,” and, “Yo, Joe!”
In my role as a psychotherapist, I try to avoid hyperbole in regard to mental, emotional, and behavioral health as being representative of a “battle.” Still, I understand common vernacular and how people conceptualize hardship as representative of battles.
In G.I. Joe, characters instructed children about how to treat other people. Knowing how to behave in an improved manner was said to be “half the battle.” Difficult occasions through which one would navigate during a lifetime were the other half of the battle.
This concept is similar to my approach with Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT), as I use psychoeducation about the ABC model and unconditional acceptance. Maintaining understanding of, acknowledging belief in, and frequently practicing REBT is half of the battle.
The other half of the battle involves recurrent undesirable events experienced in life. Rather than a pivotal war, people face countless “battles” every day – culminating in a “war” of life. What they believe during these occasions will determine the consequences they’ll endure.
When working out earlier this morning, I listened to the track “For This Occasion” by lyricist Styles P, of The LOX fame, and which features a sample from Aretha Franklin’s “Friendly Persuasion (Thee I Love).” Styles P states in his second verse:
I go to sleep and travel, I know the beast can tempt me
I know the snakes can rattle, but knowing’s half the battle
Headed up shit’s creek, no one likes to paddle
Live in a high rise, no one likes the gravel
Fuck with the gangstas, no one likes to tattle
Went into war, but no one likes to battle
The lyricist begins his verse discussing an escape through sleep. Aside from unpleasant dreams, nightmares, or night terrors, one’s slumber is a lull in the action of a battle. Damage from being tempted in a dream doesn’t bear the same consequences as one’s beliefs about temptation when awake.
This is demonstrated in the ABC model through use of a belief-consequence (B-C) connection. Although people tend to subscribe to an action-consequence (A-C) connection perspective, undesirable occasions don’t cause unpleasant consequences from a psychological point of view.
Instead, when an activating event occurs and a person irrationally believes something about the occasion, it’s the B-C and not an A-C connection that results in an emotional, bodily sensation, or behavioral outcome one finds unpleasant. Thus, it’s not temptation that causes a result.
Styles P then cleverly incorporates a G.I. Joe reference by expressing that “snakes can rattle,” as the mortal foe of G.I. Joe was an organization called Cobra (a snake). The lyricist acknowledges that snakes can rattle, though he adds that knowledge of an enemy’s presence is “half the battle.”
And yes, I’m aware that rattlesnakes and not cobras rattle. Nevertheless, if knowing of the B-C connection is half the battle, the other half of that equation is either disputing unhelpful beliefs or practicing unconditional self-, other-, or life-acceptance.
Frequent practice of REBT techniques is difficult. One may perceive the process as a battle if one chooses. Despite how a person refers to the uncomfortable process of challenging lifelong and rigidly held attitudes, it may be in one’s interest and in alignment with one’s goals to do so.
Noteworthy, one doesn’t have to like or love this challenging process. This is indicated from Styles P by stating, “Headed up shit’s creek, no one likes to paddle. Live in a high rise, no one likes the gravel.”
Often, I find that people claim to want success with their goals. Person X may want to get through a shitty creek. Person Y may aim to live in a high rise. However, person X doesn’t like to paddle and person Y self-disturbs about standing on gravel in the meantime.
Asking oneself whether or not one likes the “battle” is an altogether unhelpful question. Rather, I encourage people to build high frustration tolerance by demonstrating to themselves that they can tolerate undesirable occasions while working toward a more desirable outcome.
Styles P illustrates this when expressing, “Went into war, but no one likes to battle.” In the hyperbolic war of life, people can fight many battles even though liking this experience has little to do with the proverbial fight taking place.
For this occasion, when you experience an undesirable event, what will you choose to believe? Will you disturb yourself with unproductive beliefs while making matters worse than they already are? Or, for this occasion, will you take up proverbial arms and fight the battle?
Knowing is only half the battle. Yo, Joe!
If you’re looking for a provider who works 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 old school hip hop REBT psychotherapist, I’m pleased 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 helping you to feel better, I want to help you get better!
Deric Hollings, LPC, LCSW
References:
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