Abstract
The pursuit of preferences without demands is a major pathway to mental health and happiness, according to REBT theory and research. Even when people are thwarted in the pursuit of their preferences, they will only experience healthy negative emotions, which will spur them on to construct solutions to obstacles that prevent them from reaching their goals. However, if they are thwarted when rigidly demanding their preferences, they may experience unhealthy negative emotions and act in ways that most likely will be self-defeating. We suggest that this evidence-based classic REBT framework could benefit further by clarifying whether there is a neglected distinction to be made between two types of preference. We raise the question whether there are ‘ought’ preferences as well as ‘want’ preferences, fundamentally different in purpose, which when turned into demands, can lead to distinctly different secondary irrational beliefs and unhealthy negative emotions and behaviour patterns. We explore this possible distinction as a question which has potential ramifications for theory, research and practice.
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Notes
Traditionally in REBT nomenclature the word ‘ought’ is taken to mean a demand. However we propose a distinction can be made between a flexible non-demanded ‘preferential ought’, expressing the ordinary language meaning implying duty and obligation (Oxford English Dictionary 2014), and an absolute, rigidly demanded ‘ought’, which combines the traditional REBT demand with duty and obligation. This point is discussed further in the text.
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Trower, P.E., Jones, J. Demanded Wants and Oughts: An Overlooked Distinction in REBT?. J Rat-Emo Cognitive-Behav Ther 33, 95–113 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10942-014-0204-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10942-014-0204-5