USA (and UOA)

[Uncle Fester]

Unconditional Self Acceptance

I don't get it.

This is one of the principles of REBT and I have come across it before.

Below is a quote taken from another thread here (didn't want to side track there) and I post it just as a description of USA.

I accept myself because I'm alive and have the capacity to enjoy my existence.
I am not my behavior.
I can rate my traits and my behavior, but it is impossible to rate something as complex as my 'self.'
My self consists of innumerable traits, not just this one.
I strive for achievement only to enhance the enjoyment of my existence, not to prove my worth.
Failing at any task cannot make me a failure.
I can choose to accept myself even if am unwilling or unable to change my 'character defects' because there is no law of the universe that says I can't.
My approval of myself cannot come from pandering to any external source or bowing to any external authority.
My self- acceptance can only come from me, and I am free to choose it at any time.

To me, the above is just a description, a proposition, like me saying to someone, 'you can be happy today' I can't see any logic, supporting arguement underpinning it. I can't see any justification of this proposition.

The reason I bring this up is because I think it sounds like a good concept, but I can't currently see the evidence to say why it is a valid credible proposition.

A lot of REBT makes sense to me and I'd like this USA business to make sense. I am not dependant on feedback here as I will read and read etc. but I am interested in others comments.

On a personal basis I can say that I ought not judge others (oh, yes and I'm talking about UOA) on the basis of one of their actions, but I do judge people (rightly or wrongly) on their actions and I associate that with their worth eg. a long time trusted sober person takes avantage of a new girl - I judge it and regard him as less worthy - and I think thats alright?

Also, then you take my behaviour/actions away, then I'm with some buddhists, there actually is no real self.

So these actions which don't describe my or other peoples worth, for me, seem to. Not necessarily one action, but sometimes even one action says a lot about a person.