Almost all of life’s upsets and problems come from demanding rather than preferring types of thinking. People who feel anxious, angry, and guilty don’t just prefer or desire something, they also demand, dictate, and require that they receive what they want. For example, a woman might demand that everyone accept and approve of her in […]

One psychological explanation for why you might let others take advantage of you is attribution. This theory holds that people attribute their life circumstances and problems to either external factors (bosses, financial markets) or internal ones (prejudices, moods). The more external your perspective, the more you feel like a victim of your life’s circumstances. The […]

As the ancient Greek philosopher Epictetus observed, “Men are disturbed not by things, but by the views they take of them.” From a Cognitive Emotive Behavior Therapy (CEBT) point of view, it’s your interpretations of people and circumstances that prompt you to feel and act the way you do, not the people or circumstances themselves. […]