Photo credit, photo-illustration by TIME; Getty Images, fair use
Sometimes when negotiating homework exercises with clients, intended to strengthen their Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) skills, I’ll invite individuals to search for media examples which use irrationality to provoke unpleasant consequences for people.
For instance, following Joe Biden’s abysmal performance when debating Donald Trump on June 27, 2024, TIME released a cover that merely stated, “Panic.” To better understand how this unproductive prescription correlates with unnecessary reactions, it may be useful to know a bit about REBT.
REBT theory uses the ABC model to illustrate how when Activating events (“Actions”) occur and people maintain irrational Beliefs about the events, these unhelpful assumptions – and not the actual occurrences – are what create unpleasant cognitive, emotive, bodily sensation, and behavioral Consequences.
In particular, there are four predominate irrational beliefs which people use: demandingness, awfulizing, low frustration tolerance, and global evaluations. Addressing these, the ABC model incorporates Disputation of unhelpful assumptions in order to explore Effective new beliefs.
From a psychological standpoint, people disturb themselves using a Belief-Consequence (B-C) connection. Of course, this isn’t to suggest that in the context of the naturalistic or physical world there is no Action-Consequence (A-C) connection.
As an example, if you accidentally bump an expensive vase (Action), it may fall from a countertop and shatter on impact with the floor (Consequence). Still, if you unhelpfully Believe, “I can’t stand this,” then you’ll likely disturb yourself into sorrowful disposition (Consequence).
Thus, I help people to stop upsetting themselves through use of B-C connections, though I can’t fully resolve their A-C connections. In the naturalistic world, gravity pulls upon vases and vases sometimes shatter. Nevertheless, you don’t have to upset yourself from a psychological perspective.
Additionally, REBT uses the technique of unconditional acceptance (UA) to relieve suffering. This is accomplished through use of unconditional self-acceptance, unconditional other-acceptance, and unconditional life-acceptance.
Given this understanding about REBT, I now turn toward TIME. On February 4, 2021, following Biden’s supposed win over Trump, TIME released an article addressing a “shadow campaign that saved the 2020 election.”
One imagines that “saved” referenced in the article is little more than a euphemism for “meddled in” the election. Understandably, many United States (U.S.) citizens who also read the article gathered as much.
Still, TIME ostensibly gloated at what appeared to be questionable, if not fraudulent, action regarding how it is that Biden ascended to the presidency. Personally, if TIME had any credibility up until that point I no longer mistook the media source as a logical or reasonable resource.
Nevertheless, I didn’t disturb myself through use of a B-C connection regarding how the U.S. democratic process was apparently sabotaged. Rather, I utilized UA. Admittedly, it was easy for me not to use a B-C connection. This is because I don’t vote.
As a requisite disclaimer, I don’t participate in the voting process. This is partially due to the religious teachings up with which I was raised. As well, I don’t believe in the functionality of the U.S. democratic republic voting process. Nevertheless, I don’t advise others to behave as I do.
In any case, now TIME is essentially encouraging people to use an unproductive B-C connection by inviting individuals to “panic.” After presumably boasting about what superficially relates to a rigged 2020 election, and now apparently appealing to irrationality, a question comes to mind.
Regarding TIME’s observed behavior concerning the Biden administration, why would anyone take advice from you? Make no mistake of my query, because I’m not using a referential index shift herein (i.e., conflating “anyone” with a personal reference indicative of “I”).
I’m genuinely asking, why would any person value a media outlet that has seemingly prescribed panic to its readership? The 2024 TIME article concludes, “For many Democrats who watched the debate, the problem is that what Biden believes is starting to look more and more at odds with reality.”
It’s easy enough to go after what one imagines Biden believes. How about redirecting that imagination at whoever would believe that taking unproductive advice from TIME, in regard to panic, is a healthy use of one’s time?
On the topic of imagination, one imagines that any U.S. citizen who dares to believe that there isn’t a disreputable force of actors influencing the democratic process is willfully ignorant or astonishingly stupid. For context, the 2021 TIME article stated:
That’s why the participants want the secret history of the 2020 election told, even though it sounds like a paranoid fever dream–a well-funded cabal of powerful people, ranging across industries and ideologies, working together behind the scenes to influence perceptions, change rules and laws, steer media coverage and control the flow of information. They were not rigging the election; they were fortifying it. And they believe the public needs to understand the system’s fragility in order to ensure that democracy in America endures.
To be clear, it appears as though in 2021, TIME ostensibly advocated election interference in the name of “democracy.” Perceivably, the populous was too ignorant or stupid to know what was best for it, so a “cabal of powerful people” ostensibly fortified (rigged) the 2020 election.
Though, now is the moment to panic, according to TIME – now that the populous has a second bite of the proverbial apple? No thanks. I’d rather practice UA and politely tell anyone who prescribes panic to other people that they can kick rocks.
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—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 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 helping you to feel better, I want to help you get better!
Deric Hollings, LPC, LCSW
References:
Ball, M. (2021, February 4). The secret history of the shadow campaign that saved the 2020 election. TIME. Retrieved from https://time.com/5936036/secret-2020-election-campaign/
Elliott, P. (2024, June 28). Inside Biden’s debate disaster and the scramble to quell democratic panic. TIME. Retrieved from https://time.com/6993760/joe-biden-debate-disaster-democratic-panic/
Hollings, D. (2022, October 31). Demandingness. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/demandingness
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Urrbanjoe1. (2015, October 28). Kick rocks. Urban Dictionary. Retrieved from https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Kick%20rocks
Wikipedia. (n.d.). Donald Trump. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Trump
Wikipedia. (n.d.). Joe Biden. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_biden
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