Babes-Bolyai University
The Ten Commandments of Rationality To Follow – RETMAN
• 1. IT WOULD BE PERFERABLE that you succeed in everything you attempt, and do everything in your power for this to happen, BUT IF YOU DO NOT SUCEED it does not mean that you are worthless as a person, but that you’ve had a less desirable behavior, which can be improved in the future.
• 2. IT WOULD BE PERFERABLE that you succeed in everything you attempt, and do everything in your power for this to happen, BUT IF YOU DO NOT SUCCEED, remember that it is only (very) bad, not catastrophic (the worst thing that could happen to you).
• 3. IT WOULD BE PERFERABLE that you succeed in everything you attempt, and do everything in your power for this to happen, BUT IF YOU DO NOT SUCCEED, you can tolerate it, and go on enjoying life, even if it’s more difficult in the beginning.
• 4. IT WOULD BE PREFERABLE that the others be nice and/or fair to you, BUT IF THEY ARE NOT, it does not mean that your or they are worthless human beings.
• 5. IT WOULD BE PREFERABLE that the others be nice and/or fair to you, BUT IF THEY ARE NOT, remember that it is only (very) bad, not catastrophic (the worst thing that could happen to you).
• 6. IT WOULD BE PREFERABLE that the others be nice and/or fair to you, BUT IF THEY ARE NOT, you can tolerate it, and go on enjoying life, even if it’s more difficult in the beginning.
• 7. IT WOULD BE PREFERABLE that life be fair and easy, BUT IF IT IS NOT, it does not mean that you are worthless as a person, and/or that life is no good.
• 8. IT WOULD BE PREFERABLE that life be fair and easy, BUT IF IT IS NOT, remember that it is only (very) bad, not catastrophic (the worst thing that could happen to you).
• 9. IT WOULD BE PREFERABLE that life be fair and easy, BUT IF IT IS NOT, you can tolerate it, and go on enjoying life, even if it’s more difficult in the beginning.
• 10. THE ONLY THING THAT MUST BE, IS THAT NOTHING MUST ABSOLUTELLY BE!
“The Holy Trinity of Madness” is: I must absolutely…, you/the others must absolutely… and life must absolutely….!
(David Daniel: “Handbook of Cognitive and Behavioral Psychotherapies”, Polirom: Iaşi, 2006); Based on Albert Ellis’ s rational-emotive and cognitive-behavioral therapy.
The Ten Commandments of Irrationality To Avoid – IRATIONALIUS
• 1. YOU MUST succeed in everything you do, OTHERWISE you are worthless as a human being (you are unimportant/ inferior/ weak).
• 2. YOU MUST succeed in everything you do, OTHERWISE it is awful and catastrophic (the worst thing that could happen to you).
• 3. YOU MUST succeed in everything you do, OTHERWISE you cannot tolerate it (it is intolerable).
• 4. The others MUST be fair and/or nice to you, OTHERWISE you are worthless as a human being (you are unimportant/ inferior/ weak) and/or OTHERWISE they are worthless (evil).
• 5. The others MUST be fair and/or nice to you, OTHERWISE it is awful and catastrophic (the worst thing that could happen to you).
• 6. The others MUST be fair and/or nice to you, OTHERWISE you cannot tolerate it (it is intolerable).
• 7. Life MUST be fair and easy, OTHERWISE you are worthless as a human being (you are unimportant/ inferior/ weak) and/or life is no good.
• 8. Life MUST be fair and easy, OTHERWISE it is awful and catastrophic (the worst thing that could happen to you).
• 9. Life MUST be fair and easy, OTHERWISE you cannot tolerate it (it is intolerable).
• 10. I, THE OTHERS AND/ OR LIFE MUST ABSOLUTELLY…
(David Daniel: “Handbook of Cognitive and Behavioral Psychotherapies”, Polirom: Iaşi, 2006); Based on Albert Ellis’s rational-emotive and cognitive-behavioral therapy.