ABSTRACT
In the previous chapter I stressed the importance of thinking and acting in consistent ways if you are to change core unhealthy beliefs. In this chapter I will teach you a number of techniques devised to help you strengthen your conviction in your healthy beliefs and weaken your conviction in your unhealthy beliefs. But why should you need to strengthen your conviction in your healthy beliefs? Why isn’t understanding that they are consistent with reality, logical and helpful to you sufficient to bring about change? This latter form of understanding is known as intellectual insight and when you have it you say things such as ‘I understand why my healthy belief is healthy, but I don’t believe it yet’ or ‘I understand that my healthy belief is healthy up here’ (referring to your head) ‘but not down here’ (referring to your gut). This type of insight is necessary to help you change your core and specific unhealthy beliefs, but it is not sufficient for you to make the change.
