METACOGNITION: THINKING ERRORS 16

Stress Management for Health Course

Rational Beliefs Inventory

Directions: For each of the following 20 statements select either 1 (most like me), 2 (somewhat like me), 0 (not sure), or 3 (not like me) to describe your feelings.

	1. I need approval from family, friends, and acquaintances.
	2. Things that happen to me in the past control who I am.
	3. I must be good at everything I try.
	4. I have little control over my emotions.
	5. Other people and things tend to make me feel bad.
	6. I deal with tough problems by avoiding them.
	7. Things should really turn out better than they do.
	8. My motto is, "Never volunteer."
	9. I can't seem to get fearful things off my mind.
	10.Unfair people are rotten and should be blamed for their misdeeds.
	11.It is terrible when things dont go my way.
	12.I really need love and approval from everyone.
	13.Worrying about fearful things helps me cope with them.
	14.Because the past strongly influences who we are, it determines our present emotions and behaviour.
	15.It's really easier to avoid problems and responsibilities than to face them.
	16.I am happiest when I don't commit myself to things.
	17.There are some people who are just plain rotten and deserve all the misery they get.
	18.People really should do their best at everything.
	19.There really is a perfect solution to every problem thats why its so terrible when it isn't found.
	20.It's horrible when things in my life are not the way I want them to be.

Scoring: Add all of the numbers you placed in the left-hand column.

The lower the score, the more stress inducing your thinking is.

0 - 20:

If you scored in this range, you tend to believe in many of the 10 illogical beliefs of Rational Emotive Therapy.

20 - 40:

You have a moderately illogical belief system.

40 - 60:

You tend to be logical and rational.

Remember this is an estimate of how your beliefs about life match up to the 10 illogical beliefs of Rational Emotive Therapy.

All of us share some of these beliefs at times.

(Blonna R. Coping with Stress in a Changing World)

EDUCATION - COGNITION - INTEGRITY - HAPPINESS

PERSONAL THOUGHTS...

Through the years, my philosophy of education has changed. As I have contemplated the purpose of education, in general, it has occurred to me that education is more than filling empty minds with trivial clusters of information.

As I've progressed over the years, my mind has been molding and formulating a conclusion as to what education truly is:

Education is to teach strategies and skills that offer an assortment of information gathering tools that can be employed, to survive evolutions cruel notion... survival of the fittest.

It's the old addage if you give a hungry man, a fish, you feed him for a day. If you teach a hungry man, how to fish, you feed him for a life-time.

Yet - there is a gnawing feeling that something is lacking, in this fundamental value, that leaves one hanging. The foundation of the premis needs principles of higher thinking.

The very survival and growth of mankind relies on a sense of awareness, higher functioning skills, that separate us from the rest of the animal kingdom - the ability to intentionally think, reason, and behave as intended.

My original conclusion evolved into a lengthy philosophy over time, to inlude values that take into consideration cause and effect/affect with authentic evaluation of the prior conclusion.

A paradox - 0ne can live life filling their mind with an abundance of knowledge, yet know nothing of life. In addition, one can apply the knowledge they have, yet be completely unaware of the purpose of its application...

The essence of life is greater, it is self-monitored, it is characterized by self-regulation. Meaning is derived from living life with purposeful - it examines an ongoing and eternal influence that we have on one another and on humanity itself:

Education is to teach others effective information gathering, memorization, and comprehension skills - with cause/motivation to apply the principles learned - giving value and purpose in a life-long endeavor to learning.

Why a life of learning?

FREEDOM - CHOICES - AGENCY - SELF-RELIANCE

Success can only come as we realize the only safety and security to be obtained in life is to know change is ongoing and imminent - as the principles of progress and evolution apply universally -within ourselves and externally - and the knowledge that we are flexible beings... none are exempt.

Those who choose to persist in a diseased state of stagnant apathy will be left with limited resources and choices - they are those who choose the security of servitude over the unknown of freedom & agency - self-proclaimed burdens on society - slaves to their addiction and conviction - slaves to society, tossed and blown by principles of nature and the elements, and self-victimized.

Survival and contentment require greater growth, progression, maturity, wisdom, and self-actualization. These are dependent on greater principles.

HIGHER THINKING and REASONING that offer those with vision and purpose - by choice - in the direction and interests they persue throughout their life...

One who is truly a student of life, is the creator of meaning and vision. He/she has true power over the body and nature of man. No force can conquer one who has examined the depths of his/her soul. To know ones purpose in time and universe - is - to be endowed with true understanding.

Synthesis of all life experiences and knowledge and evaluation of that synthesis is the ultimate cognitive activity. It establishes and motivates one to participate freely in explicit and specific - intentional - behaviors of positive growth and change, maintained over time... As we examine the integrity of our being and embark to make corrections to our imbalances within and without - we influence (educate) a change within our immediate communities and therefore - all humanty.

Recently I've applied at a local university to get a Masters Degree in Education - Reading & Cognition emphasis. My love is the workings/mechanics of the mind and what causes a person to "become," and to "be." What part is heredity? What part is environment? Sounds like Psychology - but from an educational point of view - what can I do as a teacher to influence children/others in a way for positive growth and success over time? How can I model the philosophy - to become educated is FREEDOM - to have the ability to self-evaluate and self-regulate one's life? Without education - it's just a crap shoot...

To illustrate my point, I've taken and cited ideas from other places to make a collage of thoughts and principles that make metacognition, self-monitoring, and self-regulation apparent and useful in my life and the lives of others.

METACOGNITION

THINKING ERRORS 16

EDUCATION - COGNITION - INTEGRITY - HAPPINESS

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