Who would study psychology if they didn't have some kind of problem?

Chapter 185 Debating Irrational Beliefs
The visitor suddenly realized.

Experiencing insights inside the consultation room that you've never had outside is the most enlightening and transformative experience.

This leads to the feeling that "this trip was worthwhile" and "psychology really does have some merit," which sparks even greater enthusiasm for the subsequent consultations.

Zhuang Junzhe entered this state at that moment.

"Teacher, are there any further steps in this Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT)?"

Of course there are, but what's been accomplished so far is merely the groundwork.

"It is known that after [A: event] occurs, your [B: belief] perceives [A], which in turn generates [C: emotion]."

"To put it in a more formulaic way, it's like this: [A + B = C]."

This description is particularly easy to understand for a science student.

Nan Zhuren rubbed his fingers together and said, "And [C] is a negative emotion that is bothering you. If we want to change [C], we must change one of [A] and [B]."

"But [A] is an objective fact that we cannot change; therefore, what we can change is your [B: belief]."

"In other words, this [B] that needs to be changed is an 'irrational belief,' do you agree?"

When correcting cognition, it is fundamental to make the client realize that the cognition is wrong; however, since the wrong cognition has been fixed for so long, rashly changing it will definitely trigger "defense" and consume a lot of time.

Using a more formulaic description makes it easier for visitors with a science background to accept.

“Agreed…” The visitor nodded, seemingly hesitant.

There's still a bit of resistance.

Nan Zhuren smiled and slowed his pace slightly: "In the ABC therapy, there are three categories for 'irrational beliefs': [absolute demands], [overgeneralization], and [utterly terrible].

Nan Zhuren explained: "【Absolute demands】refers to people's belief, based on their own will, that something will definitely happen or will not happen. It is usually associated with words like 'must' and 'should'—for example, 'I must succeed,' 'others must help me,' and so on."

"Overgeneralization is an unreasonable way of thinking that generalizes from limited information and generalizes from one instance to ten. It can be expressed as 'If a child doesn't get married, he's a failure' or 'A bearded man with white socks is gay,' and so on."

Zhuang Junzhe couldn't help but laugh.

"As for 'terrible,' it's the idea that if something bad happens, it will be terrible, awful, or even a disaster. To be specific..." Nan Zhuren thought for a moment, "'If I fail the college entrance exam, my life will be over.'"

Zhuang Junzhe absorbed this knowledge with great effort, then suddenly asked, "So my [irrational belief] is 'I think they can get internships at big companies because they are more capable than me.' In terms of classification, it falls under... [overgeneralization]?"

This time it went very smoothly.

“Yes,” Nan Zhuren affirmed.

At the same time, I smiled to myself, knowing that now I could continue with the process.

Analyzing your own thoughts and confronting your own beliefs is just the prelude to Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT).

"Now that irrational beliefs have been identified, it is natural to change them."

"What we need to do next is to 'debate' irrational beliefs."

Zhuang Junzhe repeated Nan Zhuren's last two words: "Debate?"

Nan Zhuren nodded.

“Read what you just wrote down [B] – which is an irrational belief.” “'I think they can get internships at big companies because they are more capable than me.'”

“Then next, I will be your ‘irrational belief’,” Nan Zhuren said. “You just mentioned that this belief of yours is somewhat ‘untenable’. Why do you say that?”

Zhuang Junzhe pursed his lips, seemingly finding it difficult to say what he was about to say.

He looked up into the counselor's eyes and felt they were full of encouragement. After mentally preparing himself twice, he tentatively said, "Teacher, I feel that interning at a big company might not be considered a sign of ability..."

As soon as the visitor finished speaking, Nan Zhuren, as if a fully compressed spring had been suddenly released, began to refute him with extreme sensitivity.

His emotions remained calm, and his pronunciation was steady and clear, but he spoke extremely fast: "How can getting an internship at a big company not be considered capable? Can you even get in?"

Her tone carried a faint hint of something delicate and innocent.

Zhuang Junzhe choked on his words at Nan Zhuren's words, then smiled and said, "Teacher, didn't I mention before that I was also applying for jobs while preparing for the postgraduate entrance exam? I passed the interview at Beijing University of Technology."

Nan Zhuren's transition was still smooth and quick: "But you didn't end up getting in, did you? I actually worked in a big factory."

Zhuang Junzhe blinked: "Just an intern."

"Interns also get paid jobs, which is much better than you taking time off to pursue a master's degree."

"...Interns in Jiangdu only earn 100 yuan a day, and I'm not studying full-time. I work part-time while studying, and with scholarships, I can cover all my tuition and living expenses myself."

"But I'm an intern at a big company, and this can play a crucial role on my resume when I look for a job later."

Zhuang Junzhe slowly adjusted his posture, no longer leaning back in his chair, and began to lean forward: "I've seen many students who couldn't get a full-time job after interning at big companies, so you're nothing compared to them; on the contrary, I've already started working on projects with professors, and many companies have contacted me for internships, even promising me a full-time position."

"It's just contacting you, it's just a promise, it doesn't count."

"I received a formal invitation, but I followed my teacher's advice and am waiting for a better option, so I declined the current invitation."

"Then your situation is different from ours at big companies. You may have a stable job, but the benefits, management system, company structure and so on are more advanced. Our company even has its own gym."

Zhuang Junzhe sat up abruptly, speaking quickly and precisely: "Don't you know what kind of company yours is like? Didn't you previously stipulate that you'd leave at 6:30 but work overtime until 9:30? You're always complaining about the coach pushing you too hard, and you're even saying you want to fight the clients..."

Zhuang Junzhe's words came to an abrupt end.

In front of him, Nan Zhuren spread his hands out, making a "see?" gesture.

“It seems our ‘debate’ was very fruitful.”

This time, the visitor didn't feign sudden realization; instead, he frowned and began to ponder deeply.

Nan Zhuren did not break the silence, but waited patiently.

"teacher……"

After a long pause, he frowned and said, "I just gave a lot of rebuttals to irrational beliefs."

“Yes, many.” Nan Zhuren nodded. “I’ve tried several different angles, and from each angle you can find ‘rational beliefs’ to replace ‘irrational beliefs’. If you start to hold onto these ‘rational beliefs’ again, you definitely won’t have any more negative emotions that bother you.”

Zhuang Junzhe, however, still had questions.

“But I suddenly realized… I’ve thought about these ‘rational beliefs’ before,” Zhuang Junzhe said. “I’m not one to dwell on things. When I have bad thoughts, I try to convince myself. But when I thought about these ‘rational beliefs’ before, they were all fleeting. They’ve never been as clear or as… powerful as they are today.”

(End of this chapter)