Irrational beliefs

Ahh…so today I studied. What an intellectual day I have had so far. Ha. Ha. Anyways, I came across this quotation that I would like to share with you guys:

"Men are disturbed not by things, but by the views which they take of them."

This was said by Epictetus (why do philosophers all have some crazy names? hm…I wonder what my name would be were I a philosopher……) So this guy was from the first century A.D. It literally blows my mind just trying to imagine what life was like during those years when 7 out of 10 men were philosophers - seriously thinking all day long. WOW.

So what do you guys think? Agree? Disagree?


There is book that I am reading called Rational-Emotive Theory. In it’s essence, it’s message is that we humans are prone to irrational thinking. We are taught at a young age the need to be perfect through all the “must’s” and “should’s” of life. If my boyfriend doesn’t call me, then I think it is because he doesn’t love me anymore. Then I conclude that I am not lovable. But why do we think this way? Why do we put our self-worth on what we achieve or what is reciprocated back to us? Should we not accept ourselves and use this as a positive motivation to do better next time round? I find it a very empowering stance to take. Basically, it’s saying that we feel what we think. Here’s a short excerpt from the book that I find true to the core:

"Goddamit it! I’m determined not to put myself down even if I never do many things well. Rating yourself as OK is also wrong. Why are you OK? Proving that you’re OK is just as impossible, empirically, as proving that you’re a bad person. I am I. Nancy. Now how the hell do I enjoy myself without trying to prove myself? You see, you can choose not to label yourself at all. You don’t need a grade for yourself, a continual report card."

 I guess that’s something for you to ponder upon….next time you feel disappointed, distressed or upset, maybe you can look deeper into it. Is there a major irrational flaw in your basic belief system?