Acceptance

Acceptance, in spirituality, mindfulness, and human psychology, usually refers to the experience of a situation without an intention to change that situation. Indeed, acceptance is often suggested when a situation is both disliked and unchangeable, or when change may be possible only at great cost or risk. "Acceptance" may imply only a lack of outward, behavioral attempts at possible change, but the word is also used more specifically for a felt or hypothesized cognitive or emotional state. Thus someone may decide to take no action against a situation and yet be said to have not accepted it.

Because the dictionary definition includes the concept of approval, it is important to note that in the psychospiritual use of the terminfers "non-judgmental" Acceptance.

Acceptance is contrasted with "resistance", but that term has strong political and psychoanalytic connotations not applicable in many contexts.By groups and by individuals, acceptance can be of various events and conditions in the world; individuals may also accept elements of their own thoughts, feelings, and personal histories. For example, psychotherapeutic treatment of a person with depression or anxiety could involve fostering acceptance "either" for whatever personal circumstances may give rise to those feelings "or" for the feelings themselves. (Psychotherapy could also involve lessening an individual's acceptance of various situations.)

Notions of acceptance are prominent in many faiths and meditation practices. For example, Buddhism's first noble truth, "All life is suffering", invites people to accept that suffering is a natural part of life. The term "Kabbalah" means literally acceptance.

Minority groups in society often describe their goal as "acceptance", wherein the majority will not challenge the minority's full participation in society. A majority may be said (at best) to "tolerate" minorities when it confines their participation to certain aspects of society.

Acceptance is the 5th stage of the Kübler-Ross model (commonly known as the stages of dying).

Dr Paul O wrote about acceptance on page 449 of The Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous

"And acceptance is the answer to all my problems today. When I am disturbed, it is because I find some person, place, thing or situation -- some fact of my life -- unacceptable to me, and I can find no serenity until I accept that person, place, thing or situation as being exactly the way it is supposed to be at this moment.Nothing, absolutely nothing happens in God's world by mistake. Until I could accept my alcoholism, I could not stay sober; unless I accept life completely on life's terms, I cannot be happy. I need to concentrate not so much on what needs to be changed in the world as on what needs to be changed in me and in my attitudes."

External links

* [http://www.acceptanceandcommitmenttherapy.com Acceptance and Commitment Therapy]

References

The Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous 4th edition

Living with Death and Dying by Elisabeth Kubler-Ross