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Oh, What a Tangled Web We Weave

  • Writer: Deric Hollings
    Deric Hollings
  • Feb 13
  • 4 min read

 

Per one source, “Oh what a tangled web we weave/When first we practice to deceive,’ is a very ‘Shakespearean’ phrase, however, it is not from Shakespeare. It comes from an early nineteenth century Scottish author, Sir Walter Scott, bestselling writer of novels, plays, and poems.”

 

Describing the Scott line, one source states, “This quote is frequently used to describe the destructive consequences of lies and the impact on people’s lives.” When thinking of this quote, I consider the practice of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT). For instance, one source states:

 

Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapists frequently use emotive, evocative and behavioural methods to encourage clients to change their thinking and acquire a more rational outlook on themselves and the world. REBT therapists are seldom just interested in promoting symptom removal.

 

Instead, the therapist aims to help the client to examine and change some of his or her most basic values, particularly those values which have caused the client trouble in the past, and are likely to make the client disturbance-prone in the future.

 

For example, if a client has a serious fear of failing on his job, the REBT therapist would not merely help him or her to overcome that particular fear, and to be less afraid in future of failing vocationally. Instead, the client would be helped to give up all exaggerated fears of failing at anything and shown how to generally minimise their basic awfulising tendencies.

 

It is a characteristic of REBT that the usual goal of therapy is not only to eliminate the client’s presenting symptoms, but to rid the client of many other non-reported symptom-creating propensities.

 

Using the ABC model of REBT, people are shown how the irrational beliefs they use become tangling webs to the point whereby individuals become stuck in these self-woven lies about truth and reality. Often, people aren’t even aware that they’ve become trapped in a web of self-deceit.

 

Oh, what a tangled web we weave when the narratives we use can self-deceive! Thankfully, you don’t have to remain stuck in the sticky web of beliefs that you’ve woven. If you’d like to know more about how to empower yourself to walk through a self-woven web, I’m here to assist.

 

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:

 

Dryden, W., Gordon, J., and Neenan, M. (1990). What is rational emotive behaviour therapy? A personal and practical guide (2nd ed.). Gale Centre Publications. Retrieved from https://dokumen.pub/qdownload/what-is-rational-emotive-behaviour-therapy-a-personal-and-practical-guide-1870258088-9781870258081.html

Hollings, D. (2024, August 7). Awfulizing. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/awfulizing

Hollings, D. (2024, May 15). Behavioral experiments. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/behavioral-experiments

Hollings, D. (2023, December 24). Changing beliefs. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/changing-beliefs

Hollings, D. (2024, October 27). Correlation does not imply causation. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/correlation-does-not-imply-causation

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

Hollings, D. (2024, December 30). Empowerment. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/empowerment

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

Hollings, D. (2024, April 2). Four major irrational beliefs. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/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. (2024, April 13). Goals. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/goals

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. (2024, August 8). Managing and treating symptoms. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/managing-and-treating-symptoms

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. (2024, May 15). Rational living. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/rational-living

Hollings, D. (2024, March 14). REBT and emotions. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/rebt-and-emotions

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

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

Hollings, D. (2024, November 24). Values. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/values

No Sweat Shakespeare. (n.d.). ‘Oh what a tangled web we weave’ saying origin & meaning. Retrieved from https://nosweatshakespeare.com/quotes/famous/oh-what-a-tangled-web-we-weave/

Sloan, R. (2019, December 28). From the right: “Oh, what a tangled web we weave”. The Star Banner. Retrieved from https://www.ocala.com/story/opinion/columns/more-voices/2019/12/28/from-right-oh-what-tangled-web-we-weave/1998933007/

Wikipedia. (n.d.). Walter Scott. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Scott

Wikipedia. (n.d.). William Shakespeare. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Shakespeare

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