Why do bad things happen to good people?
When we ask this question we must pay attention to our concept of justice and fairness, as this can powerfully influence the way we view supposedly bad things. The concept of justice or equity for human beings is a cognitive construction that may not necessarily reflect the reality of life. Albert Ellis, the famous practitioner of Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy (REBT), states that people tend to misinterpret what happens to them in relation to their irrational beliefs and unrealistic expectations. The idea that people “should” be rewarded for being good is a mistaken belief that can lead to feelings of injustice and hopelessness when things go wrong, or we see things happen to someone that we think are bad. On the other hand, Albert Bandura, spokesperson for the Social Learning Theory, highlights the influence of behavioral models on people's lives. Previous experiences, social interactions, and models to which a person is exposed can influence the way they perceive and resp...