What is ABC Thinking?

It has occurred to me that, while I have talked about what I do from time to time, I haven't gone into a lot of detail about the underlying philosophy and theories that drive what IRI is about. That should be corrected, I think. So for the next few months, I will be discussing the basics of some of our core ideas. The first, and perhaps most critical of these is the idea of ABC Thinking.

Caveats

Before I begin, I want to make a few notes for the more scholarly minded. First, this is a basic overview, not an academic defense. The goal is to introduce ideas and help people understand what I do and why, not present a full dissertation on the topic. (Who knows? That might come later.) As such, I will be avoiding technical terms as much as my philosophy upbringing will let me. Second, This is a brief overview – I don't intend to go into every detail about the theories (though if there is interest, I may go back over some areas and dive deeper). Finally, this is a blog, so it will probably be a bit informal. You have been warned.

Also keep in mind that this is a theory that identifies problems and seeks a solution. I do not consider it the theory, or the end-all of psychology, anthropology, or whatever other discipline it may touch. This is the world as best we at IRI understand it, and our ideas should be taken as starting points for discussion, not concrete conclusions about reality.

Next Monday: Getting Started - The ABC Theory of Cognition