Principles of REBT

Notes from Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy by Windy Dryden.

Principle of Emotional Responsibility

“We are largely, but not exclusively, responsible for the way we feel and act by the views we take of the events in our lives.” — Windy Dryden.

• Blame and emotional responsibility are unrelated; it is possible to take responsibility without self-blame.
• Taking responsibility does not excuse the behavior of others.

Acceptance vs. Resignation

Acceptance is fundamentally different from resignation and complacency.

The "Challenging, but not Overwhelming" Principle

Choose tasks that are challenging given your present psychological state. Avoid tasks that are “overwhelming” on one hand, and “too easy” on the other.

Rational vs. Irrational Beliefs

Rational beliefs are flexible, non-extreme, logical, and consistent with reality. They are productive for self-enhancement and healthy relationships.

• The rational alternative to a “must” is a preference.

Irrational beliefs lead to unhealthy negative emotions (anxiety, depression, guilt, anger). Rational beliefs about adversities lead to healthy negative emotions (concern, sadness, remorse, annoyance).

Emotion Spectrum

Healthy Negative Emotion	Unhealthy Counterpart
Concern	Anxiety / Fear
Disappointment	Depression
Remorse	Guilt
Annoyance	Anger

The Headless Chicken Analogy

“Do headless chickens make healthy decisions for themselves?” No. A headless chicken needs to find its head so it can think things through constructively, rather than dashing around in all directions hoping to find a solution.

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See also: Albert Ellis, Discomfort Anxiety, Imagery Rescripting