An interesting read. The first 11 chapters discuss the need for optimism. It explains depression as a symptom of our increasingly individualistic self and provides some questionnaires to evaluate ones disposition to pessimistic or negative thoughts along a variety of examples from other people. I skimmed or skipped much of it, because I already know a lot about automatic negative thoughts and my own hang to distortion of reality by somewhat negative beliefs.
Luckily the last 4 chapters are a quick summary of the methods and techniques for which I started this book.
The core principle follows the ABCDE method developed by Albert Ellis for the Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT). The method handles all situations in the same way:
- A (Adversity)
- Identify the adversity that lead to pessimistic thinking
- B (Belief)
- Identify your belief
- C (Consequences)
- Notice the negative automatic thinking and the resulting consequences
- D (Disputation)
- Ask for evidence? alternatives? implications? usefulness?
- E (Energization)
- Be attentive to the change of emotion and energy, when rectifying your beliefs and earlier proposed consequences