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Freeing Yourself Through Education

  • Writer: Deric Hollings
    Deric Hollings
  • 1 day ago
  • 5 min read

 

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.

 

I recall attending a class taught by a doctoral candidate while I was working on an undergraduate degree. She expressed to the class something to the effect of, “By the time you finish this program, you will be changed. Education should change you.”

 

Rather than a rigid form of demandingness (e.g., you absolutely should be changed through education), I later contemplated the adjunct faculty professor’s statement as a flexible form of preferential should narrative (i.e., education preferably should change you).

 

Given that I was seeking (and eventually earned) a Bachelor of Science in Occupational Education degree, with a focus on justice administration, I understood that the preferred change to who I was would one day be necessary when teaching other people about various topics.

 

For instance, in my youth, I (may or may not have) foolishly participated in criminal activity. However, a change to who I was would’ve been necessary in order to free myself from proverbial bondage regarding a path of (alleged) criminality.

 

Therefore, I entered the Marine Corps with a guaranteed contract for military police (MP). I then received education about law enforcement activities. When serving as an MP, I further freed myself through education about the moral and ethical implication of enforcing laws.

 

By the time that I earned a bachelor’s degree, education changed me. In fact, I altogether abandoned the field of law enforcement and immediately enrolled in a graduate program for the field of counseling once I earned my first degree. Turns out, the adjunct professor was right.

 

Not only had I freed myself through education in undergraduate school, I later went on to earn a Master of Arts in Counseling degree and a Master of Science in Social Work degree. Now, I use psychoeducation when teaching others about REBT (e.g., the current blogpost).

 

Whereas I once applied physical restraints to people when apprehending them, I now try to help free people from their self-imposed handcuffs and shackles of ignorance—lack of knowledge, education, or awareness—regarding how self-disturbance serves as a proverbial form of arrest.

 

Using the ABC model, an individual is able to shed metaphorical handcuffs which restrict one’s ability to choose and employ effective new beliefs rather than using irrational beliefs. With this REBT technique, a person learns an abortive strategy to use for un-disturbing oneself.

 

Using unconditional acceptance, an individual frees oneself from allegorical shackles which prevent free movement from unhealthy to healthy outcomes. With this REBT tool, a person learns a preventative method to reducing the frequency and duration of self-disturbance.

 

Knowledge of these REBT techniques serves the Stoic concept of eudaimonia—a life worth living or a flourishing life. Thus, freeing yourself through education about how to get out of your own way can actually change you as much as academic and occupational education changed me.

 

Regarding this matter, authors of The Daily Stoic provide a quote from Greek Stoic philosopher Epictetus who stated, “We should not trust the masses who say only the free can be educated, but rather the lovers of wisdom who say that only the educated are free” (page 16).

 

Similar to the flexible preferential should narrative used by my former adjunct professor, Epictetus used a malleable recommendatory should statement related to freeing the masses through educational actions. Per the authors, this is a matter of “learning how to live” (page 16).

 

From an REBT perspective, freedom through education is thus a matter of learning to live free of self-disturbance. As such, the authors of The Daily Stoic conclude, “Knowledge—self-knowledge in particular—is freedom” (page 16). Are you currently free in this regard?

 

You can continue restraining yourself with the emblematic handcuffs and shackles of ignorance. Likewise, you can choose a eudaimonic lifestyle of freedom through knowledge and practice of REBT techniques. You can also imprison yourself with rejection of the wisdom offered herein.

 

Presuming that you understand the information expressed in this blogpost, you are no longer ignorant about the option of learning how to live in a manner that better suits your interests and goals. Now, are you ready to free yourself – change yourself, even – through further education?

 

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, July 9). Absolutistic should beliefs. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/absolutistic-should-beliefs

Hollings, D. (2022, October 31). Demandingness. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/demandingness

Hollings, D. (2022, March 15). Disclaimer. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/disclaimer

Hollings, D. (2024, April 26). Eudaimonia. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/eudaimonia

Hollings, D. (2023, September 8). Fair use. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/fair-use

Hollings, D. (2025, March 5). Five major characteristics of four major irrational beliefs. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/five-major-characteristics-of-four-major-irrational-beliefs

Hollings, D. (2023, October 12). Get better. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/get-better

Hollings, D. (n.d.). Hollings Therapy, LLC [Official website]. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/

Hollings, D. (2024, January 2). Interests and goals. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/interests-and-goals

Hollings, D. (2023, September 19). Life coaching. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/life-coaching

Hollings, D. (2023, October 2). Morals and ethics. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/morals-and-ethics

Hollings, D. (2023, September 3). On feelings. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/on-feelings

Hollings, D. (2024, July 10). Preferential should beliefs. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/preferential-should-beliefs

Hollings, D. (2024, January 1). Psychoeducation. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/psychoeducation

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

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, July 10). Recommendatory should beliefs. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/recommendatory-should-beliefs

Hollings, D. (2024, January 4). Rigid vs. rigorous. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/rigid-vs-rigorous

Hollings, D. (2022, November 1). Self-disturbance. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/self-disturbance

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

Hollings, D. (2024, September 17). The E-C connection. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/the-e-c-connection

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

Hollings, D. (2025, January 9). Traditional ABC model. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/traditional-abc-model

Hollings, D. (2024, October 20). Unconditional acceptance redux. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/unconditional-acceptance-redux

Wikipedia. (n.d.). Epictetus. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epictetus

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

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