Overcoming the Influences of the Past

Name: Overcoming the Influences of the Past
Start: 2026-09-15T23:30:00.000Z
End: 2026-09-16T02:30:00.000Z
Location: nyc

nyc, nycTuesday, Sep 15 · 7:30 PM

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Doors 7:30 PM

The Story

You already know where it came from. You've probably known for years. So why are you still doing it? Why do so many thoughtful, self-aware, well-read people still catch themselves: * bracing for criticism that hasn't come * explaining themselves to people who didn't ask * reading silence as rejection * choosing the familiar over the good * knowing exactly why they do it, and doing it anyway *A Guide to Rational Living* — the 1961 book that became the foundation of modern cognitive therapy — has a blunt answer. The past shaped you, but it isn't what keeps the belief alive today. **You are.** Not through weakness. Understanding where a belief came from has never been enough to loosen it, because what holds it in place is how often you repeat it to yourself. **We'll get into:** * where these beliefs actually get installed * why understanding the origin changes so little * what the Stoics said about this two thousand years earlier * the difference between a memory and a statement you keep repeating * what it looks like to actually argue with a belief **No reading required.** We listen to the chapter together. **The plan for the night:** * Quick intro from me — who I am, and where these ideas came from * We listen to Chapter 7 together (\~20 min) * Small-group discussion (\~20 min) * Q&A and open discussion Not therapy. No diagnosis. Nothing you have to share. Just a good book and a more reasonable way to see the world.

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