The Way of Integrity: Finding the Path to Your True Self

In this section, Beck begins offering practical actions one can undertake to make progress toward full integrity. The preparatory phase from Stage 1 is complete; now, with Stage 2, we are beginning the journey.

Chapters 5 and 6 both deal with applying a practical method of handling our thoughts, a method that Beck will return to throughout the book. The method is based partly on Byron Katie’s work, and it includes subjecting our thoughts to careful inquiry. Just as Dante observes and asks questions on his journey, Beck advises a method of observing, asking questions, and moving on.

In Chapter 5, the object of observation is the fearful, painful reactions that we have in considering our “hellgate” issue. In Chapter 6, it is the potentially false thoughts we entertain about beliefs that we think will lead us to happiness. In both cases, Beck’s practical advice is to observe the thoughts, ask whether they are actually true, and then move on.

This methodology is an active one, focused on continual progress. As we observe and move on, we avoid getting stuck in any one place, and thus Beck’s method ties in with the theme of Finding Meaningful Change Through Small Steps. This practical pattern of inner observation, self-questioning, and moving on constitutes the steps that make up the progression of our journey. We may not attain full healing just yet from our “hellgate” issues, but by pressing forward, we can at least make space in our lives so that we are no longer held captive to that single issue. Now that we are following Dante’s onward journey through his descent into hell, Beck wants us to also feel the sense that we are making progress by working past issues in our lives, even if they might be difficult or alarming.

Once again, the theme of Integrity as the Key to Emotional Healing is the overarching idea that drives the whole narrative. In this section, it is present mainly as the end goal toward which we are pressing, while in later sections the practice of intentional integrity will also appear as one of the means toward that goal. Like in the previous section, however, it is the theme of Learning to Read Our Internal Signals that predominates. Stage 2 is concerned with one’s inner life, whereas later stages will focus more on outward action and external circumstances, so these Stage 2 chapters tend to highlight the importance of understanding our own inner state more than other sections of the book do.

Chapter 5 focuses on considering the inner signals relating to our “hellgate” issues—observing the emotional reactions and thoughts that arise from confronting those areas. The point here is not to dismiss them or even necessarily to understand them completely, but rather to observe them, acknowledge their presence, and introduce just a note of doubt over whether those thoughts really ought to have a permanent place in our lives.

Chapter 6, meanwhile, focuses on reading the signals that arise from a recent incident of unwanted behavior. By observing the thoughts and emotions that surround our frustrations with our own behavior, we may be able to pinpoint the reaction of our inner self to some prior incitement, and so gain a bit more insight into the values and desires that are of central importance to our inner guide. Chapters 5 and 6, then, while focusing on slightly different areas—“hellgate” issues on the one hand, and unwanted behaviors on the other—both maintain a steady focus on the theme of Learning to Read our Internal Signals.