Radical acceptance
Radical acceptance is the full recognition of facts as they are, without confusing it with approval, resignation or passivity.
Definition
Radical acceptance is a skill known from dialectical behavioral therapy. It involves stopping fighting what is already a fact so that psychic energy can return to action, mourning, protecting boundaries or changing what is still influenced. It does not mean consent to harm or justifying someone's behavior.
Key ideas
- Acknowledging the facts
- Reducing additional suffering
- Acting from the point of reality
Practice and life
Choose a situation that you cannot undo. Write down: what is fact, what I do not approve of, what I still have influence on and what is the first responsible step.
Common misconceptions
It is a mistake to confuse radical acceptance with surrender. It is also a mistake to use it to ignore real danger or violence.
> Acceptance of the fact is not consent to stand still, but the end of the fight against what has already happened.
> — Guru Element
Questions for self-reflection
- What is a fact, even if I don't like it?
- Am I fighting reality or my own pain?
- What step is possible after recognizing the facts?