Eating is always a decision, nobody forces your hand to pick up food and put it into your mouth.
Albert EllisRead
Let's suppose somebody abused you sexually. You still had a choice, though not a good one, about what to tell yourself about the abuse.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Even in the face of trauma, we have the power to shape our own narratives and responses.
This quote highlights the idea that, despite experiencing severe abuse, individuals possess the agency to choose their interpretation and response to such experiences. It emphasizes the psychological aspect of dealing with trauma and the importance of managing one's internal dialogue to foster healing and resilience.
Themes
AbuseChoiceSelf-TalkHealingTrauma
In practice
Example use cases
In a counseling session, to emphasize the importance of narrative in trauma recovery.
More from Albert Ellis
All quotes →Religious creeds encourage some of the craziest kinds of thoughts, emotions, and behaviors and favor severe manifestations of neurosis, borderline personality states, and sometimes even psychosis.
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I had used eclectic therapy and behavior therapy on myself at the age of 19 to get over my fear of public speaking and of approaching young women in public.
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If you would stop, really stop, damning yourself, others, and unkind conditions, you would find it almost impossible to upset yourself emotionally - about anything. Yes, anything.
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The best years of your life are the ones in which you decide your problems are your own. You do not blame them on your mother, the ecology, or the president. You realize that you control your own destiny.
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