When residing in a children’s home during my freshman year of high school, I received a blue hand-me-down sweatshirt that in yellow letters displayed the name “CHOATE.” Although it was the most comfortable sweatshirt I’d ever owned, I was ignorant about the word and its origin.
The word ignorant is defined as destitute of knowledge or education, resulting from or showing lack of knowledge or intelligence. Accordingly, ignorance is defined as the state or fact of being ignorant: lack of knowledge, education, or awareness.
Simply put, when wearing my favorite sweatshirt in the photo above I lacked knowledge about Choate Rosemary Hall, simply referred to as “Choate,” which is a private, co-educational, college-preparatory boarding school in Wallingford, Connecticut.
All I knew was that I liked the article of clothing. Regarding this matter, there’s no need for guilt or shame in relation to one’s own ignorance. After all, each and every fallible human being is ignorant to some degree.
Arguably, most of us know far less about truth and reality than we believe that we know about any particular topic. For instance, I use my cellphone every day and couldn’t adequately explain how it works. Regarding this admission, I’m not ashamed.
Similarly, I’m a professional psychotherapist and I couldn’t properly describe precisely what consciousness is or how it functions. The best I can do to mitigate the common phenomenon of ignorance is to seek knowledge, acquire wisdom, and remain open to the experience of understanding.
The reason I think this relatively short blogpost is relevant is because I find that when practicing Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) with clients, some people unhelpfully disturb themselves in regard to the experience of ignorance. This is an unproductive use of one’s life.
Therefore, I plead ignorance about most matters in life and invite people to consider doing the same. Then, and perhaps only then, can we remedy our ignorant state of being through the acquisition of knowledge, application of wisdom, and by fostering continued understanding.
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:
Hollings, D. (2022, March 15). Disclaimer. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/disclaimer
Hollings, D. (2024, May 11). Fallible human being. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/fallible-human-being
Hollings, D. (2023, October 12). Get better. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/get-better
Hollings, D. (2024, August 27). Guilt and shame are choices. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/guilt-and-shame-are-choices
Hollings, D. (n.d.). Hollings Therapy, LLC [Official website]. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/
Hollings, D. (2023, September 19). Life coaching. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/life-coaching
Hollings, D. (2023, September 3). On feelings. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/on-feelings
Hollings, D. (2023, April 24). On truth. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/on-truth
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. (2022, November 1). Self-disturbance. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/self-disturbance
Hollings, D. (2022, August 8). Was Freud right? Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/was-freud-right
Wikipedia. (n.d.). Choate Rosemary Hall. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Choate_Rosemary_Hall
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