Psychological rigidity refers to the inability to change your mind, even if everything proves otherwise, and to observe a situation from different points of view. Psychological rigidity hinders our lives and is one of the precipitating or intensifying factors of suffering. It is defined by six processes that form the opposite side of the processes seen in psychological flexibility: uncompromising attention, breaking of one’s values, inactivity or impulsivity, identification with an “I”. conceptual, cognitive and experienceal evasion.
Albert Ellis’ rational emotional behavioral therapy says people are depressed by the irrational interpretations they make of the events that affect them. People’s belief system is an important factor in explaining emotional disorders and is therefore one of the main points worked on in therapy.
- Irrational interpretations.
- Combined with the rigidity needed to change this belief system.
- Maintain depression.
- Aaron Beck’s cognitive pattern of depression suggests that depressive patterns result in depressive symptoms when they increase the frequency of automatic negative thoughts in response to life events.
- Automatic negative thoughts act as important intermediaries in the relationship between depressive and depressive symptoms.
Therefore, imperative, inflexible, overwhelming, and self-destructive beliefs are linked to exaggerated and dogmatic patterns of behavior, emotion, and interpretation that function as generators of emotional disorder, which can lead to mood disorders.
“The so-called uncompromising truth will always have its sordid side. “- Herman Melville-
Psychological flexibility has been linked to several positive indicators in people with mental health problems and chronic diseases, and has been identified as an important mechanism for psychotherapeutic change, however, during therapy, professionals pay little attention to psychological flexibility.
At first, intransigent people can project a sense of security, but in reality, if you look at their refusal to see things from another angle, you’ll notice something they’re trying to hide: their own insecurity. They feel comfortable doing, thinking and advocating for the same thing over and over again and in different situations, it’s your comfort zone. Getting them out of there leaves them helpless and scares them.
To try to change this, a person must be aware of the benefits of mental flexibility and the disadvantages of stiffness in psychological disorders, sometimes it will be necessary to be categorical in certain situations, but in most cases flexibility will give us a more appropriate response. .
The most debilitating feature of psychological rigidity is people’s inability to change their mental habits and routines, which in many cases leads to depression. Mental mechanisms are very harmful in depression, which worsens the situation and prevents you from overcoming it. The depressed person’s way of thinking is full of repetition of negative ideas, creating greater doses of discomfort.
“Happiness is like a butterfly. The more you chase him, the more he runs away. But when you’re distracted, it lands gently on your shoulder. Isn’t happiness a hostel on the edge of the road, but a way to walk in life?-Viktor Frankl-
Our vision of the world and our environment determines our well-being and, with it, the involvement, commitment and attitude we have with ourselves and others, so being a flexible-minded person has many advantages. Flexible people never stop learning, growing and connecting. In addition, they are more tolerant of frustration, do not fear change, learn from adversity and have less stress.
Psychological flexibility is a set of general ideas about life that shape one’s behavior, thoughts, and emotions and do not allow the use of strict rules, about others, and about ourselves. Adapting to different situations and acting effectively with values is being like water. , which surpasses everything because it adapts to any environment.
“I think it’s tempting to treat everything like a nail, if the only tool we have is a hammer. “Abraham Maslow.