Why do people resist taking responsibility for their suffering?

One simple idea for reducing the resistance you encounter in trying to get clients to take responsibility for their suffering would be to try taking a less extreme stance and see what effect this has.

You write "Every single bit of emotional pain we experience is caused by ourselves. No one else is responsible for our pain, we inflict it on ourselves." When one takes an all-or-nothing stance, some people react by going to the other extreme while others respond by trying to prove that, in some instances, you are wrong. Either response can waste a fair amount of time and energy.

Suppose you took a more moderate stance such as "Much of the distress that people experience results from their interpretation of events, not from the events themselves." My bet is that by doing this, you will provoke less resistance and find it easier to get people to take responsibility for their distress.

Replies:

Re:Why do people resist taking responsibility for their suffering?, by Loreen P., 06/09/04

| Behavior OnLine Home Page | Disclaimer |

Copyright © 1996-2004 Behavior OnLine, Inc. All rights reserved.