The ABCDE’s of Innovation: Remembering Albert Ellis

Innovation Blog

The ABCDE’s of Innovation:

Remembering Albert Ellis

By Shlomo Maital

Oct. 21/2009

   Psychologist Albert Ellis died on July 24, 2007, age 93. He singlehandedly led a revolution in psychotherapy toward cognitive therapy, as opposed to Freudian approaches.  He was active and vigorous to the end of his life, and will be remembered in particular for his lively exchanges with friend and sometimes opponent Aaron Beck at APA (American Psychological Association) meetings. 

   Ellis pioneered focused results-oriented RETP Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy.  He opposed Freudian psychotherapy that could drag on for years, without measurable results.  Ellis’ key precept:  We ourselves are responsible for how we interpret events — we can either turn them into emotional disasters or into uplifting constructive actions.

   Here is an example of Ellis’ A B C D E approach (from personal-development.com):   

My son returns from work or school and goes to his room without saying anything.

1. “After all I’ve done for him, he doesn’t have the common courtesy to say hello.” Feeling angry.
2. “Something must have upset him.” Feeling concerned about his welfare.
3. “He must be angry with me.” Feeling worried.
4. “He must be upset because this morning I told him he was late for work again.” Feeling hurt.
5. “He must be lost in thought.”  Feeling compassionate and understanding — no loss of happiness.

In thought #1, I believe my son is rude and I feel angry, the CONSEQUENCE of which may be an argument with him. But what if he was innocent? The happiness of two people are jeopardized by my irrational thought (distorted thinking). On the other hand, what if I DISPUTED the thought before flying off the handle? As soon as I felt the anger, I could have paused and asked myself some questions such as, “Am I jumping to conclusions? Can there be an alternative explanation for his silence? Am I unfairly judging him? Since I am his father and not a child, why don’t I take the initiative by greeting him and starting a conversation to learn why he was so quiet?”

Can you see the powerful EFFECT of changing my thought? Doesn’t it also change my behavior and its CONSEQUENCE? The point to remember is that it is not the ACTIVATING EVENT that determines our actions or behavior, but our interpretation of that event. You can practice the ABCDE steps with the other four example thoughts. Once you’re comfortable doing so, practice with your own thoughts and watch you change your life!

    Can we develop a Rational Emotive A B C D E  approach to innovation?   Consider the following:

Activating Event:   An observation of something unusual, out of the ordinary, that catches your attention.   This requires empathy; seeing things others may not observe.

Belief:   The thoughts and emotions that A creates.   Empathy:  I detect that someone is unhappy, has a need or want that is unsatisfied.

Consequences:  What you do with those thoughts and emotions.  How can I satisfy that need?

Dispute:  Challenge the conventional way of thinking about C;  see it differently,  turn it upside down, reverse it, use “what if?”      Add on more features to an existing product?   Or — remove some features.   Create a completely new product. 

Effect:  Use A B C D to create a powerful innovative business idea, one that others locked into conventional ABCD paths cannot and will not see.  

   Ellis sought to help people with deep emotional problems and distress.  And he did. Moreover he trained several generations of psychologists in his methods, and they in turn helped countless people.   With his innovation, he changed the world.  Indeed, a survey ranked Ellis as the second-most influential psychologist in history.  First was  Carl Rogers; third was… Sigmund Freud.  

   I regret I will not have the chance to ask Ellis if he thought Rational Emotive therapy could also become a technique for innovation.