2 questions about Choice Theory

greenspun.com : LUSENET : GLASSER Choice Theory & Reality Therapy : One Thread

I read about Choice Theory and it sounds wonderfull. I can see how it has many applications. However, I am sceptical about two parts of it : I wonder if children are able to make the right decisions concerning their future. For them, the future is what happens in a week, and I am concerned that they do not care much about what will happen in 10 or 20 years. I am also wondering if Choice Theory pretends that one can be happy all the time. To me, there are times in life when you are unhappy for good reasons, such as the (very) recent death of someone, etc. Does Choice Theory pretend that you choose to be sad the day you learn that someone close to you died?

-- Julie Arseneault (eja1105@umoncton.ca), March 06, 2002

Answers

I think you are absolutely right about children and their 'immediate gratification' view of the world. Yet,if you read any of the work of Alfie Kohn you can see that he has gathered an immense body of independent research by people such as Deci showing that it is only when you succeed in helping people move their locus of control inward that you give them a chance to make decisions of the type you speak of above. Reality therapy would claim to be able to help make such a shift.

I dont think Choice theory would never ask you to do something so silly as to 'pretend' to be happy at all times. Things happen in life such as traumatic bereavement and the natural feeling that follow would be very unhappy indeed. The awareness and insight that can come from Reality Therapy wil help you realise that at some stage you have crossed a boundary between feelings that are a natural consequences, and feelings that are generated or 'chosen' by the self. Glasser himself will say that there comes a stage when a person who persists in grieving a loss for a long long time, can be helped to find more effective behaviours.

-- Ken Lyons (kenlyon@gofree.indigio.ie), March 09, 2002.


I use choice theory and work as a mental health counselor. I currently have a 4 year old client and he is very receptive to making good choices, as they efect his immediate future. The future for this client is as legitimate as the future of an older client, the premise is the same, "it's after this moment im currently in". I find one of the most usefull aspects of choice theory is understanding that you cant control anyone else and that you must be in the clients quality world in order to have a meaningful effect.

-- John Anetrella (sales@causatech.com), April 19, 2004.

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