--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Beginning in the 1960s, many studies…" description: "\"Beginning in the 1960s, many studies showed that people who hold what we call irrational beliefs are significantly more disturbed than when they don't ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/760/albert-ellis-3379_1960s_beginning-in-the-1960s-many-studies-show_1307569.jpg" --- # Beginning in the 1960s, many studies showed that people… ![“Beginning in the 1960s, many studies showed that people who hold what we call irrational beliefs are significantly more disturbed than when they don't hold them, and the more strongly they hold them, the more disturbed they tend to be.” quote by Albert Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/760/albert-ellis-3379_1960s_beginning-in-the-1960s-many-studies-show_1307569.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/760/albert-ellis-3379_1960s_beginning-in-the-1960s-many-studies-show_1307569.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/760/albert-ellis-3379_1960s_beginning-in-the-1960s-many-studies-show_1307569.jpg) > “Beginning in the 1960s, many studies showed that people who hold what we call irrational beliefs are significantly more disturbed than when they don't hold them, and the more strongly they hold them, the more disturbed they tend to be.” [Albert Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-ellis/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Irrational beliefs intensify emotional distress; the stronger the belief, the greater the disturbance. **In simple terms:** Wrong beliefs cause more suffering. Key Takeaway Challenge and replace irrational thoughts. Themes cognitive distortion emotional health self‑talk Mood analytical encouraging Type psychological self‑help When to use this quote - therapy - personal growth - stress management Key Concepts rational emotive behavior therapy psychology Questions to Reflect On - What belief holds you back? - How can you test its reality? A Different Perspective Changing deep‑seated beliefs is difficult. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [1960s](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/zz-1960s-426/) [Belief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/belief/) [Disturbed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disturbed/) [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [Hold Irrational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hold-irrational-4315184/) [Irrational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/irrational/) [Irrational beliefs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/irrational-beliefs/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Significantly Disturbed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/significantly-disturbed-4315185/) [Studies Showed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/studies-showed-3951379/) [Study](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/study/) ## Related quotes > [When people change their irrational beliefs to undogmatic flexible preferences, they become less disturbed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-ellis/when-people-change-their-irrational-beliefs-to-undogmatic-flexible/) [Albert Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-ellis/) > [“These studies showed that people who migrated from one area to another and who started eating the typical diet of their new residency assumed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-colin-campbell/these-studies-showed-that-people-who-migrated-from-one-area-to/) [T. Colin Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-colin-campbell/) > [People are terrified of other people or difficult projects because they tell themselves that they could fail or be rejected. Failure can lead to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-ellis/people-are-terrified-of-other-people-or-difficult-projects-because/) [Albert Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-ellis/) > [There's no evidence whatsoever that men are more rational than women or that men are more willing to surrender their irrational beliefs. Both sexes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-ellis/there-s-no-evidence-whatsoever-that-men-are-more-rational-than-women/) [Albert Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-ellis/) > [“The greater fool theory states that the price of an object is determined not by its intrinsic value, but rather by irrational beliefs and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashwin-sanghi/the-greater-fool-theory-states-that-the-price-of-an-object-is/) [Ashwin Sanghi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashwin-sanghi/) > [My position is that we should not succumb to irrational belief.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/my-position-is-that-we-should-not-succumb-to-irrational-belief/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [“When we look at the frailties of the human mind and the apparent disinterest by the multitude to do the very hard work of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-goedken/when-we-look-at-the-frailties-of-the-human-mind-and-the-apparent/) [Brian Goedken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-goedken/) > [Fundamental assumptions in general and scientific assumptions in particular are so hard to overturn because they are based on belief. Beliefs are so hard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-campbell/fundamental-assumptions-in-general-and-scientific-assumptions-in/) [Thomas Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-campbell/) > [Hellenic science is a victory of rationalism, which appears greater, not smaller, when one is made to realize that it had been won in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-sarton/hellenic-science-is-a-victory-of-rationalism-which-appears-greater/) [George Sarton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-sarton/) > [Superstition is the irrational belief that an object or behavior has the power to influence an outcome, when there's no logical connection between them.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gretchen-rubin/superstition-is-the-irrational-belief-that-an-object-or-behavior-has/) [Gretchen Rubin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gretchen-rubin/) > [I think that a society cannot live without a certain number of irrational beliefs. They are protected from criticism and analysis because they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-levi-strauss/i-think-that-a-society-cannot-live-without-a-certain-number-of/) [Claude Levi-Strauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claude-levi-strauss/) > [Dilbert: Evolution must be true because it is a logical conclusion of the scientific method. Dogbert: But science is based on the irrational belief…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-adams/dilbert-evolution-must-be-true-because-it-is-a-logical-conclusion-of/) [Scott Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-adams/) > [While I think in principle people should not have irrational beliefs, I should say that as a matter of fact, it is people who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/while-i-think-in-principle-people-should-not-have-irrational-beliefs/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [The point is that religion puts a value on irrationality, which makes it the perfect tool for promoting irrational beliefs like misogyny. Other ideologies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-marcotte/the-point-is-that-religion-puts-a-value-on-irrationality-which-makes/) [Amanda Marcotte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-marcotte/) > [“This is the exact opposite of that lazy acquiescence in irrationality which is sometimes urged by those who only know that psychoanalysis has shown…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/this-is-the-exact-opposite-of-that-lazy-acquiescence-in-irrationality/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) ## More by Albert Ellis > [The best years of your life are the ones in which you decide your problems are your own. You do not blame them on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-ellis/the-best-years-of-your-life-are-the-ones-in-which-you-decide-your/) [Albert Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-ellis/) > [“REBT’s Insight No. 1 holds that you have both healthy and unhealthy emotions”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-ellis/rebt-s-insight-no-1-holds-that-you-have-both-healthy-and-unhealthy/) [Albert Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-ellis/) > [Failure doesn't have anything to do with your intrinsic value as a person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-ellis/failure-doesn-t-have-anything-to-do-with-your-intrinsic-value-as-a/) [Albert Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-ellis/) > [So I'd better stop my whining and help myself cope better with even the worst Adversities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-ellis/so-i-d-better-stop-my-whining-and-help-myself-cope-better-with-even/) [Albert Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-ellis/) > [I'm one of the best-loved psychologists in the United States, but I'm also probably the most hated one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-ellis/i-m-one-of-the-best-loved-psychologists-in-the-united-states-but-i-m/) [Albert Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-ellis/) > [I thought foolishly that Freudian psychoanalysis was deeper and more intensive than other, more directive forms of therapy, so I was trained in it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-ellis/i-thought-foolishly-that-freudian-psychoanalysis-was-deeper-and-more/) [Albert Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-ellis/) > [I'm very happy. I like my work and I like the various aspects of it - going around the world, teaching the gospel according…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-ellis/i-m-very-happy-i-like-my-work-and-i-like-the-various-aspects-of-it/) [Albert Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-ellis/) > [Let's suppose somebody abused you sexually. You still had a choice, though not a good one, about what to tell yourself about the abuse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-ellis/let-s-suppose-somebody-abused-you-sexually-you-still-had-a-choice/) [Albert Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-ellis/) > [People don't just get upset. They contribute to their upsetness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-ellis/people-don-t-just-get-upset-they-contribute-to-their-upsetness/) [Albert Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-ellis/) > [“The concept of deservingness for one’s “sins” implies that certain acts are unquestionably under all conditions “sinful.” And this is impossible to prove.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-ellis/the-concept-of-deservingness-for-one-s-sins-implies-that-certain-acts/) [Albert Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-ellis/) > [The art of love is largely the art of persistence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-ellis/the-art-of-love-is-largely-the-art-of-persistence/) [Albert Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-ellis/) > [I teach people to be flexible, scientific and logical in their thinking and therefore to be less prone to brainwashing by the therapist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-ellis/i-teach-people-to-be-flexible-scientific-and-logical-in-their/) [Albert Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-ellis/) > [For that again, is what all manner of religion essentially is: childish dependency. If something is irrational, that means it won't work. It's usually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-ellis/for-that-again-is-what-all-manner-of-religion-essentially-is-childish/) [Albert Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-ellis/) > [Thinking rationally is often different from "positive thinking," in that it is a realistic assessment of the situation, with a view towards rectifying the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-ellis/thinking-rationally-is-often-different-from-positive-thinking-in-that/) [Albert Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-ellis/) > [People are terrified of other people or difficult projects because they tell themselves that they could fail or be rejected. Failure can lead to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-ellis/people-are-terrified-of-other-people-or-difficult-projects-because/) [Albert Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-ellis/) [Explore all 132 Albert Ellis quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-ellis/) ## More 1960s quotes > [We do need different types of propulsion to get to Mars. I wrote one of the first Ph.D. theses on that in the 1960s.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-mitchell/we-do-need-different-types-of-propulsion-to-get-to-mars-i-wrote-one/) [Edgar Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-mitchell/) > [Each year more than 100,000 high school graduates, with proved ability, do not enter college because they cannot afford it. And if we cannot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lyndon-b-johnson/each-year-more-than-100-000-high-school-graduates-with-proved-ability/) [Lyndon B. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lyndon-b-johnson/) > [Nearly all the writing of our time is likely to disappear in a hundred years. Certainly most readers - and nearly all critics -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-dirda/nearly-all-the-writing-of-our-time-is-likely-to-disappear-in-a/) [Michael Dirda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-dirda/) > [Sometimes a party must sail against the wind. We cannot heed the call of those who say it is time to furl the sail.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-kennedy/sometimes-a-party-must-sail-against-the-wind-we-cannot-heed-the-call/) [Edward Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-kennedy/) > [ \[In the 1960s\]...you could take LSD but you couldn't wear a pantsuit. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsey-johnson/in-the-1960s-you-could-take-lsd-but-you-couldn-t-wear-a-pantsuit/) [Betsey Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsey-johnson/) > [Is it a coincidence that stories from the private life became more popular just as the grand hope for public redemption through revolution was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-griffin/is-it-a-coincidence-that-stories-from-the-private-life-became-more/) [Susan Griffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-griffin/) > [I think the general anxiety of the 1960s - '70s spawned our interest in the living dead. When people worry about the end of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-brooks/i-think-the-general-anxiety-of-the-1960s-70s-spawned-our-interest-in/) [Max Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-brooks/) > [“A friend once told me a story about a former Black Panther leader in a Midwest community who in the 1960s had his phone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luis-j-rodr-guez/a-friend-once-told-me-a-story-about-a-former-black-panther-leader-in/) [Luis J. Rodríguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luis-j-rodr-guez/) > [I was never bothered about my position in the industry. If I had believed in it, I wouldn't have allowed anyone to get ahead…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dharmendra/i-was-never-bothered-about-my-position-in-the-industry-if-i-had/) [Dharmendra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dharmendra/) > [Under the system that we now have to nominate presidential candidates, for instance, I would prefer that we have a system that is closer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-beschloss/under-the-system-that-we-now-have-to-nominate-presidential-candidates/) [Michael Beschloss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-beschloss/) > [My son Bill, who came to me in 1960-he was 14 then, quoted the old parable to me: "It is not by their words,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madalyn-murray-o-hair/my-son-bill-who-came-to-me-in-1960-he-was-14-then-quoted-the-old/) [Madalyn Murray O'Hair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madalyn-murray-o-hair/) > [There is a book called San Francisco Tape Music Centre:1960s Counterculture and the Avant-Garde and this book describes everything that you want to know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pauline-oliveros/there-is-a-book-called-san-francisco-tape-music-centre-1960s/) [Pauline Oliveros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pauline-oliveros/) > [Much of the art of the 1960s, from body art to video and direct performance, was concerned with similar issues. And then there was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/valie-export/much-of-the-art-of-the-1960s-from-body-art-to-video-and-direct/) [Valie Export](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/valie-export/) > [I went through college in the 1960s without having any idea that I was going to have to make a living. When I graduated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-prose/i-went-through-college-in-the-1960s-without-having-any-idea-that-i/) [Francine Prose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-prose/) > [“At the beginning of a decade when everything was beginning to seem possible, nothing seemed impossible.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margot-lee-shetterly/at-the-beginning-of-a-decade-when-everything-was-beginning-to-seem/) [Margot Lee Shetterly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margot-lee-shetterly/) [Browse all 486 1960s quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/zz-1960s-426/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Beginning in the 1960s, many studies showed that people who hold what we call irrational beliefs are significantly more disturbed than when they don't hold them, and the more strongly they hold them, the more disturbed they tend to be.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Albert Ellis" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-ellis/beginning-in-the-1960s-many-studies-showed-that-people-who-hold-what/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "1960s" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-ellis/beginning-in-the-1960s-many-studies-showed-that-people-who-hold-what/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/760/albert-ellis-3379_1960s_beginning-in-the-1960s-many-studies-show_1307569.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/760/albert-ellis-3379_1960s_beginning-in-the-1960s-many-studies-show_1307569.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/760/albert-ellis-3379_1960s_beginning-in-the-1960s-many-studies-show_1307569.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Beginning in the 1960s, many studies showed that people who hold what we call irrational beliefs are…” — Albert Ellis", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Albert Ellis", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-ellis/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Beginning in the 1960s, many studies...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-ellis/beginning-in-the-1960s-many-studies-showed-that-people-who-hold-what/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-ellis/beginning-in-the-1960s-many-studies-showed-that-people-who-hold-what/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```