The facts are friendly

The facts will be my friends

The following is a long quote from Carl Rogers. Rogers refers to these insights as “learnings”

“It has interested me a great deal that most psychotherapists, especially the psychoanalysts, have steadily refused to make any scientific investigation of their therapy or to permit others to do this. I can understand this reaction because I have felt it. Especially in our early investigations I can well remember the anxiety of waiting to see how the findings came out. Suppose our hypotheses were disproved! Suppose we were mistaken in our views! Suppose our opinions were not justified! At such times, as I look back, it seems to me that I regarded the facts as potential enemies, as possible bearers of disaster. I have perhaps been slow in coming to realize that the facts are always friendly. Every bit of evidence that one can acquire, in any area, leads one that much closer to what is true. And being closer to the truth can never be a harmful or dangerous or unsatisfying thing. So while I still hate to readjust my thinking, still hate to give up old ways of perceiving and conceptualizing, yet at some deeper level I have to a considerable degree, come to realize that these painful reorganizations are what is known as learning, and that though painful they always lead to a more satisfying because somewhat more accurate way of seeing life.”

From Carl R. Rogers, (1961). On becoming a person. A therapist’s view of psychotherapy

The people who know me and in particular my supervisees and the participants of my training sessions, are familiar with my statement on “good old fashioned therapy”. I have written about this before. “The new is not helpful and the helpful is not new.” Some of the “old stuff” however, is also not helpful as it is either outdated or research has shown that the approach does not add value to the therapeutic process. Regardless, there is a lot of good information out there. You will see that when you pick up an older book, you will be surprised how relevant it is and how much we can learn from our history.

Those of you who are fully emerged in Instagram and other social media developments and who follow therapists and counsellors, might be blown away by the wealth of information placed into quotes with a nice background or photo. Recently I read a very powerful one that encouraged people to look at their own missing needs, before projecting these on those around them and having expectations of others, that are actually their own responsibility in the first place. Frustration predictable! The quote was beautiful and received many “likes”. It is a good development to spread the news and to help people to develop some insights. But…the stuff is all but new. And that is OK. Carl Rogers, B.F. Skinner, Aaron Beck, Albert Ellis (Hmm maybe him less so…;)) the neo Freudians, will be proud of you to spread the insights…

Some “learnings” are timeless…that people make the same mistakes is because for whatever reason many seek the “truth” in superficial quasi-science based popular generics….

Sharing “truths” is good…regurgitating these without “living” it…is not doing anyone a favour…!

See also Psychological Injury SK, Canada – FAQs and Scienceploitation and BioMania

Elisabeth