The Illusion of Control: A Practical Guide To Avoid Futile Struggles

Mental health care advocate Linden (emeritus, clinical and health psychology, Univ. of British Columbia; coauthor, Clinical Psychology: A Modern Health Profession) posits that many people believe they have more control over the other people in their lives than they actually do. Therefore, some become frustrated when they’re unable to influence or persuade others to do as they wish. His book indicates that people also tend to neglect or ignore the substantial amount of control they have over what they themselves do. He asserts that one way for people to become less stressed is to stop expecting to have control over others and to instead turn their energies toward controlling their own behavioral patterns. Linden offers readers several practical strategies that will help them rewire their thoughts to create new behavioral patterns. This book also addresses the benefits that come from changing one’s own behavior, using case studies involving married couples, parents and their children, friends, and colleagues to demonstrate how one’s actions can impact interpersonal communication.