ABSTRACT
REBT has a distinctive position on the issue of human worth. To be accurate it has two positions, one that it particularly espouses and another that is less favoured, but acceptable.
Its preferred position is that it makes little sense to say that as humans we have or lack worth. We exist in a social world and we have a choice to exist healthily or miserably, with or without due regard to our social groups and to our environment. We are happiest when we are actively pursuing goals that are meaningful. We do not need to consider ourselves worthwhile in order to be happy and since one of the sources of emotional disturbance is rooted in our tendency to view ourselves and others as conditionally worthwhile, conditional human worth interferes with our emotional wellbeing and happiness.
