Ideas Are Changed, Not by "Will," But by Other Ideas

It can be seen that Bertrand Russell's technique of searching out ideas which are inconsistent with some deeply felt conviction, is essentially the same as the method tested clinically with such amazing success by Prescott Lecky. Lecky's method consisted of getting the subject to "see" that some negative concept of his was inconsistent with some other deeply held belief Lecky believed that it was inherent in the very nature of "mind" itself, that all ideas and concepts which make up the total content of "personality" must seem to be consistent with each other. If the inconsistency of a given idea is consciously recog­nized, it must be rejected.
One of my patients was a salesman who was "scared to death" when calling upon "big shots." His fear and ner­vousness were overcome in just one counselling session, during which I asked him, "Would you physically get down on all fours and crawl into the man's office, pros­trating yourself before a superior personage?"
"I should say not!" he bristled.
"Then, why do you mentally cringe and crawl?"
Another question: "Would you go into a man's office with your hand out like a beggar, and beg for a dime for a cup of coffee?"
"Certainly not."
"Can't you see that you are doing essentially the same thing, when you go in overly concerned with whether or not he will approve of you? Can't you see that you have your hand out—literally begging for his approval and acceptance of you as a person?"
Lecky found that there were two powerful "levers" for changing beliefs and concepts. There are "standard" con­victions which are strongly held by nearly everyone. These are (1) the feeling or belief that one is capable of doing his share, holding up his end of the log, exerting a certain amount of independence and (2) the belief that there is "something" inside you which should not be allowed to suffer indignities.