What are the 3 key questions to ask about my
beliefs?
Key Question #1: Does my Belief help me over
the long run in attaining my goals and realizing my
values, without causing needless trouble and
personal conflict with others, or does it hinder me?
Follow-up question to
#1: If my Belief hinders me, that is, it’s
irrational, then what Rational Belief would help
me reach my objectives better and realize my
values better?
Key Question #2: Is
my Belief consistent with known facts and reality?
Follow-up question to
#2: If my Belief is inconsistent with
reality, that is, it’s irrational, what Rational
Belief would be more consistent with reality?
Key Question #3: Is
my Belief logical?
Follow-up question to
#3: If my Belief does not make sense
logically, that is, it’s irrational, what
Rational Belief would make more sense?
“Rational” is a definition that depends on your
goals and values. If how you think, feel, and act
tends to help you attain your goals without causing
needless trouble and conflict with others, we define
it as rational. If, on the other hand, how you
think, feel, and act tends to defeat your purposes
and cause you trouble, we define it as irrational.
Because there is a real world, like it or not, which
follows cause-and-effect principles, rational
thinking, feeling, and acting is usually consistent
with known facts. Irrational thinking, feeling, and
acting, on the other hand, is inconsistent with or
unsupported by known facts.
The same real world follows logical principles. Some
examples can illustrate “logical.” Let’s say you
very much like to succeed at something. Would it
logically follow that therefore you MUST succeed at
that? Of course not. The necessity for success does
not follow logically from your desire for it.
Similarly, would it follow logically that strong
insistence on success means you deserve to succeed?
For another example, let’s say that certain things
in your life are bad; does it logically follow that
therefore everything in your life is bad and always
will be bad? No, some bad things now does not equal
all bad things forever.
