Ouch!

You are entirely correct for chastising me for my use of the words "sole" and "entirely." It's the sort of thing that happens when one dashes something off. With that said, however, it should be recognized that I never indicated it was my intention to hearken completely to anyone's "party line." I think CMT is very undisciplined in its use of guilt as a causative factor in its formal theory and in its case history accounts.

We are highly social beings, which means that our assertions often affect others, and when they do, can trigger guilt. So guilt is involved in much that we do--CMT is right on the money on that score. The presence of guilt does not necessarily mean, however, that the guilt is the paramount factor in determining a person's behavior. Every time we compete with someone and win, we feel guilty, but most people deal with that guilt and go on to compete and win again. CMT rightly finds guilt nearly everywhere; it sometimes fails to distinguish, however, whether the guilt is really the paramount cause of the behavior it attempts to describe.

The writing of case histories is a minor thing. What is more important, I believe, is the fact that the interventions CM therapists routinely make are based on suppositions and intuitions that go far beyond prescriptions of guilt. CMT is therefore not entirely reflective of CM practice. What I am sketching here is a theoretical description that fits what CM therapists DO much more closely than CMT does. Nevertheless, as you will see, I very much agree with Kathy's therapist in finding that guilt was a pathogenic influence in her case.

My disagreement CMT is like your disagreement with me. CMT gives the impression that guilt is "entirely" the "sole" cause of a person's problem, while I say that those words should not be used or even implied because other factors are usually operating as well, and some of those at times may even be more important.

Replies:

Does the difference make a difference?, by Jim Duffy, 11/28/98 Premature, by Vic Comello, 11/28/98 Eager to learn..., by Jim Duffy, 11/29/98 A Different Slant, Part IIA, by Vic Comello, 11/29/98 I think I'm getting it..., by Jim Duffy, 11/29/98 How Come Jim Stopped the Dialogue Here??, by Doug W, 3/13/99 Interesting Slants and Dialogues!, by Polly Bloomberg-Fret, 11/30/98 Different Things, by Vic Comello, 12/12/98 Let's Agree To Disagree, by Polly Bloomberg-Fret, 1/2/99

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