Jason Meno

I'll be your co-therapist.

I'll be your co-therapist.

Okay, sure. So let's say you did fail your test. Why is that upsetting to you? What does that mean to you? Well, then I'll fail the class. And let's say you do fail that class. That would be a pretty terrible thing, but I'm wondering why is that so upsetting? What does that mean to you if you failed that class? Well, then I won't be able to get a good job.

Okay, sure. So let's say you did fail your test. Why is that upsetting to you? What does that mean to you? Well, then I'll fail the class. And let's say you do fail that class. That would be a pretty terrible thing, but I'm wondering why is that so upsetting? What does that mean to you if you failed that class? Well, then I won't be able to get a good job.

And if you didn't get a good job, what would that mean?

And if you didn't get a good job, what would that mean?

Yeah, so you said one of your fears here of if you fail that class, then you won't be able to get a good job or get a good job at all or you might lose a job. And I'm wondering why is that upsetting and what does that mean to you if that happened?

Yeah, so you said one of your fears here of if you fail that class, then you won't be able to get a good job or get a good job at all or you might lose a job. And I'm wondering why is that upsetting and what does that mean to you if that happened?

And if that's true, it would be terrible. I mean, jobs are very important in our lives. But I'm wondering why would that be upsetting? What does that mean to you if you could never get a good job?

And if that's true, it would be terrible. I mean, jobs are very important in our lives. But I'm wondering why would that be upsetting? What does that mean to you if you could never get a good job?

I see. Yeah. So that sounds like... So that belief that if I can't get a good job, then I'm a failure at everything. Would we call that the self-sustaining belief or would we go further than that? There's more. There's more. OK, let's get going. So let's say you did fail. You were failing at everything. What if that were true? What does that mean to you? Why is that upsetting?

I see. Yeah. So that sounds like... So that belief that if I can't get a good job, then I'm a failure at everything. Would we call that the self-sustaining belief or would we go further than that? There's more. There's more. OK, let's get going. So let's say you did fail. You were failing at everything. What if that were true? What does that mean to you? Why is that upsetting?

That seems to be the—I think we might have hit the bottom of the barrel with that one.

That seems to be the—I think we might have hit the bottom of the barrel with that one.

No.

No.

The thing that I think of when it comes to self-defeating beliefs are, in Buddhism, what are called the five aggregates or the five skandhas.

The thing that I think of when it comes to self-defeating beliefs are, in Buddhism, what are called the five aggregates or the five skandhas.

And one of those are perception, which is kind of the... When something happens to you in your life, there's an automatic process that's your reaction to what's happening, even before thoughts start occurring, even before thoughts start reaching your consciousness. It's just that, for example, you see the face of someone you really don't like.

And one of those are perception, which is kind of the... When something happens to you in your life, there's an automatic process that's your reaction to what's happening, even before thoughts start occurring, even before thoughts start reaching your consciousness. It's just that, for example, you see the face of someone you really don't like.