Dr. David Burns

Just for the fun of it, we can go another dimension down, and let's imagine, Matt, that you were in fact worthless, and this might sound like a ridiculous question, but imagine that I'm from Mars, and I don't understand— You know what happens here on the surface of the earth.

Just for the fun of it, we can go another dimension down, and let's imagine, Matt, that you were in fact worthless, and this might sound like a ridiculous question, but imagine that I'm from Mars, and I don't understand— You know what happens here on the surface of the earth.

And so I would be asking you, and then on the earth, surface of the earth here, if you're worthless, why is that a bad thing? Because we don't have that way of thinking on Mars. What happens if you're worthless? You can't get coffee at Starbucks or what happens then?

And so I would be asking you, and then on the earth, surface of the earth here, if you're worthless, why is that a bad thing? Because we don't have that way of thinking on Mars. What happens if you're worthless? You can't get coffee at Starbucks or what happens then?

Oh, I see. Uh-huh. Everyone will reject me. And then if that were true, take it one more step, then is there something negative about that? I mean, it sounds kind of awful, but what would you be afraid of? You mean everyone in the world or everyone who knew you or all human beings?

Oh, I see. Uh-huh. Everyone will reject me. And then if that were true, take it one more step, then is there something negative about that? I mean, it sounds kind of awful, but what would you be afraid of? You mean everyone in the world or everyone who knew you or all human beings?

Oh, you'd be wealthy, though, because you'd be like the most famous celebrity in the world. I'd be very special. You'd appear on talk shows and get tremendous honoraria.

Oh, you'd be wealthy, though, because you'd be like the most famous celebrity in the world. I'd be very special. You'd appear on talk shows and get tremendous honoraria.

Okay.

Okay.

So then we review the list. I might fail my test. and then what's the worst that could happen? Then I might fail my class. Then I'll never have a good job. That would mean I'm a failure, and that would mean that I'm worthless. And if I was worthless, everyone would reject me, and then I'd be miserable forever. And now let's turn this back to... Our expert of experts, Rhonda Barofsky.

So then we review the list. I might fail my test. and then what's the worst that could happen? Then I might fail my class. Then I'll never have a good job. That would mean I'm a failure, and that would mean that I'm worthless. And if I was worthless, everyone would reject me, and then I'd be miserable forever. And now let's turn this back to... Our expert of experts, Rhonda Barofsky.

And what are this individual's self-defeating beliefs?

And what are this individual's self-defeating beliefs?

Is that a self-defeating belief on the list? Yes. It's perfectionism. Oh, perfectionism. Uh-huh. Oh, yeah. If I'm not perfect, I guess, or if I fail, my world will fall apart, something like that? Right.

Is that a self-defeating belief on the list? Yes. It's perfectionism. Oh, perfectionism. Uh-huh. Oh, yeah. If I'm not perfect, I guess, or if I fail, my world will fall apart, something like that? Right.

Yeah, that's a good one.

Yeah, that's a good one.

Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm.