Aaron Beck's irrational beliefs
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- Lorenzo West I
According to Cognitive theory postulated by psychologist Aaron Beck, people suffer due to the personal interpretation they make about the events and not by the events themselves.
Content
Toggle- Beck's irrational thoughts
- Irrationality is something human
- Irrational thoughts vs rational
- Rational beliefs, how are
- How to eliminate our irrational thoughts
Beck's irrational thoughts
For Beck there are some general assumptions on which certain are based irrational beliefs that generate discomfort and depressive thoughts, and are the following:
- Rules of conduct: For example think: "I always have to act correctly".
- Basic assumptions: Like: "If I'm wrong, people will not believe in me".
- Nuclear beliefs: of the type: "I am incompetent".
According to Beck, these ideas or beliefs influence affective states (and modify them). Some of these ideas are responsible for the genesis of certain psychological disorders such as anxiety or depression.
So that, The development of a disorder relies on cognitive vulnerability and depressive thoughts suffered by the individual. This vulnerability is the result of the operation of certain schemes or patterns of inadequacy, failure or loss.
Such schemes are represented by dysfunctional attitudes and thoughts of the style of "If someone I want does not love me, I am not good enough". And these automatic thoughts that favor the appearance of feeling depressive are worth cognitive distortions.
When the individual runs into certain negative events that activate their cognitive vulnerability, generates negative thoughts about itself, the world and the future, even despite the existence of opposite evidence.
As a consequence, the negative symptoms that characterize depression appear.
Irrationality is something human
In the first place, we must say that irrational thinking is much more common than we believe, in fact everyone has had at least one occasion. Next we will present what constitutes evidence in favor about The basis of irrationality human:
- In potency all humans, including brilliant and competent people, show the main irrational thoughts.
- All irrational thoughts producing disorders (such as thoughts called absolutists that systematically include words I have to and I must) that they have been discovered in our society, have also been found in virtually all social and cultural groups that have been discovered in our society, and have been found in virtually all social and cultural groups that have been studied in history and anthropology.
- Many of the irrational behaviors we do, such as "leaving for tomorrow what we can do today" or the lack of self -discipline, go against the teachings of our parents, friends and media.
- Humans (even intelligent and brilliant people) once abandoned and overcome irrationalities, adopt new new ones.
- People who oppose all their strength to various types of irrational behaviors are often prey to these same irrationalities. There are atheists and agnostics that preach deeply religious philosophies and there are deeply religious individuals act immorally.
- Falling into the account of irrational thoughts and behaviors helps to change them only partially. For example, there are people who know that drinking alcohol in large quantities is harmful, but knowing it does not necessarily lead them to refrain from drinking.
- Humans often fall on irrational habits and patterns, even if we have worked hard to overcome them.
- People are often easier to learn self -destruction behaviors than of self -valuation. In fact, there are usually no problems eating more than account, but to follow a simple diet.
- Psychotherapists who should be a good rationality model for their patients, often act irrationally in their personal and professional life.
- People often self -deceive believing that some negative experiences (divorce, stress and other misfortunes) will not happen to them.
Aristotle complex: what is and how to identify it? Irrational thoughts vs rational
Below we show you a table with some irrational thoughts and their rational opposites:
| Irrational thoughts | Rational thoughts |
| It's horrible, scary | It is a setback |
| I can not stand it | I can tolerate what I don't like |
| I am a stupid (a) | My behavior was stupid |
| It is an imbecile | It is not perfect (a) |
| This should not happen | This happens because it is part of life |
| You have no right | You have the right to do what it seems, although it would prefer that it would not have been like this |
| I must be convicted | It was my fault and deserves sanction but I don't have to be convicted |
| I need him (she) to do that | I want/ desire/ I would prefer that he (she) do that, but I must not necessarily achieve it |
| Everything always goes wrong | Sometimes, perhaps frequently, things go wrong |
| Every time I rehearse, I fail | Sometimes failure |
| Nothing works | Things fail more frequently than I would like |
| This is my whole life | This is an important part of my life |
| This should be easier | I would like it to be easier but, often, what suits me is difficult to achieve |
| I should have done better | I would prefer to have done it better, but I did what I could at that time |
| I'm a failure | I am a person who sometimes fails |
Rational beliefs, how are
Rational beliefs are evaluative cognitions of each person and with a preferential sense (although not absolute). They express themselves in the form of "I would like", "I would like", "I would not like", "I would prefer", "I would like". The positive feelings of pleasure or satisfaction are experienced when people get what they want, on the contrary, The negative feelings of displeasure and dissatisfaction (eg. sadness, concern, pain, disgust) are experienced when what is desired is not achieved. These negative feelings (whose strength is closely related to the importance of desire) are considered appropriate responses to the negative events that may have occurred, but do not interfere in the persecution of new goals or purposes. These beliefs are rational for two aspects: 1 because they are relative and 2nd because they do not prevent the achievement of basic objectives and purposes.
How to eliminate our irrational thoughts
Irrational thoughts do not bloom out of nowhere. There is a family system, a story, including genetics that have generated them. But at this time it is useful to be able to detect them and work on them.
To achieve a real philosophical change in this regard, we have to do the following:
- We figure out That it is we who create, to a large extent, our own psychological disturbances and that, although environmental conditions may contribute to our problems, they have, in general, a secondary consideration in the process of change.
- Clearly recognize that We have the ability to modify In a significant way these disturbances.
- Understand that emotional and behavioral disturbances come, to a large extent, from irrational, dogmatic and absolutist beliefs.
- Discover our irrational beliefs and discriminate between them and their rational alternatives.
- Question these beliefs irrational using the logical-empirical methods of science.
- Work on the attempt to internalize our new beliefs rational, using cognitive change methods.
- Continue this process of refutation of irrational ideas and use methods of change during the rest of our lives.