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Monday, October 27, 2008

Albert Ellis

Perhaps the greatest individual in the history of psychotherapy. I wish I could have met him when he was alive because his stuff makes a lot of sense. For those not in the know, he created Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy.

I'm boiling it down very much so, but basically it says the individual is responsible for their own suffering. No one can "push your buttons", you do things of your own will. There are no "shoulds" in life, only "I would prefer to". You can find more about it here on wikipedia.

And now a little clip.


14 comments:

  1. I've always had a tertiary interest in psychology and our understanding of the inner self. Thanks for adding a new name to my lexicon!

    BTW: it would appear that Ellis' theories lead to bad posture...

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  2. Let's see:

    Yaeger says that he was advanced in age (perhaps questioning his mental stability?)

    WeM is questioning his 'position' or his 'posturing' on issues?

    (I hope you guys know I'm kidding.)

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  3. I was a psych major in college. Don't even get me started about how much I love Ellis !!

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  4. NM - sounds like you're self starting...

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  5. I was a psych patient in college. Do not get me started. I mean it.

    O.K. psych majors and dabblers, what do you make of this.

    I didn't go looking for this but some dots are begging to be connected. After writing about the sexual filth and perversion in mens minds,

    Vera said...

    Some men, such as my husband, are mentally disciplined and simply don't allow this to get off the ground in their minds.

    Then vera said...

    My husband just got back from Fantasy Fest. He and the small band of men and one other small group were the only ones there preaching to the masses. There were hundreds of thousands of people participating in this depravity where people can act out their favorite sexual fantasy.

    Jesus H. Christ, vera. What kind of psycho sexually repressed freak show do you live in?

    Doug: "Vera, I must go to Vegas next week for the Porn convention to, ummm, spread the gospel. Yeah, that's the ticket. God laid it on my heart."

    Vera: "doug, you're such a godly man. May He keep you stiff in your resolve. May your spreading the seed of the gospel find moist, warm, fertile, fleshy soil and convict the nasty heathens."

    Bonus Savior Trivia. Do you know what the H. in Jesus H. Christ stands for? Hussein. Whoda thunk?

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  6. Craig,

    LOL!!!! I think Vera may have some sort of physical issue that has lowered her libido and/or a mental issue which has done so.

    I don't know enough about her husband to make any speculations, but I think her assessment of the situation might just be a wee bit...deluded, as you pointed out!

    I honestly do think Vera has mental health issues regarding sex. It's the main 'sin' she talks about, she has pics on her blog of what I suppose is her family out in front of a porn convention doing some kind of ...whatever the hell it is they do out there...screaming at people or whatever...

    Think about it...of all the 'sins' she could blabber on about, the main thing is always sex. Sex, sex, sex.

    I remember when her daughter got married, she had to report back to everyone that her daughter called her the next morning and told her that she had been a virgin and felt so clean ...or something like that. Ok, whatever. But Vera felt it necessary to give us this information. Why? It's not like the world needed a report on the state of Vera's daughter's twat. It's just another example of her hyperfocusing on sex.

    There is a point in the emotional/intellectual development of humans where they learn to think in abstract terms and not see the world as black and white. It is my feeling that most fundies never get to that point.

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  7. I think I would respect him (Ellis) a bit more (from the picture) if he would zip up his pants and button them.......
    It looks like he's ready to whip his dick out or sumpin....

    Otherwise, from what has been said, I'll have to look him up.

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  8. NM,
    RE: October 27, 2008 5:53 PM Comment

    Spot on. There are definately issues there and she has alluded to them on several occasions.
    She cannot come out with them in the way that you and I have been able to; she's shielding her bad experiences behind this apparent interest in her husband's obsession in controlling other people's sex lives, perhaps as he controls her own.

    Either way it is quite pathogenic, in my humble fucking opinion.

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  9. Maybe vera just digs sex and is made to feel intense guilt by her own rigid theology. It's sad but of her own making if that's true. I shouldn't speculate what's going on with her but she is an endless source of amusement.

    Whatever makes her,hubby and daughter feel clean and happy is fine by me, I guess.

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  10. Perhaps Vera should read Ellis' book, Sex Without Guilt, where Ellis expressed the opinion that religious restrictions on sexual expression are often needless and harmful to emotional health.

    There you go. Even Vera could have some value as a case study.

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  11. I actually don't put much veracity in either Ellis (from what I've read of him) OR Vera.

    Preaching the Gospel is one thing, but to go to something like 'Fantasy Fest' to do it is another.

    Just my opinion....

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  12. loaf,

    I'm genuinely curious about what you have read of Ellis and what about it you didn't like.

    Also, I'd like to know your opinion on this video: (It's not a rickroll, I swear!)

    What is REBT?

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