JOAN: You mean, if I can get rid of shoulds and musts in my thinking, I'd feel better?
DR. K.: That's exactly what I'm saying. If you were to follow what I've told you, you'd seldom be upset again, and probably never enough to get yourself really depressed.
JOAN: Uh-huh. I'm not sure I really see how that can be. I feel pretty stupid.
DR. K.: So here you go again! You think of yourself as a pretty bright person, and so you say to yourself, "I ought to be able to catch on to anything pretty fast." And now here you are, and you're not all that sure you've followed everything already, and so you tell yourself, "Oh my, I must be stupid."
JOAN: [Nods appreciatively, laughs.]
DR. K.: You don't have to upset yourself. You can choose what you tell yourself, and then you'll have control over what you feel. Tell me about your job. You're in the role of a leader, aren't you?
JOAN: Yes.
DR. K.: But you don't think you're doing a great job?
JOAN: No, I don't.
DR. K.: But they think you're doing OK, isn't that correct?