The term "rash" is commonly used to describe a hasty or thoughtless action or decision. When someone tells you not to be rash, they are advising you to be cautious and to think carefully before making a decision or taking any action without considering all the factors.
In addition to the standard definition, I have created a framework using RASH as an acronym to guide you on what actions to avoid if you wish to cultivate inner peace.
RASH stands for React, Assume, Suppress, and Habituate. This acronym represents the steps one might take when they're not consciously aware of their reactions and emotions, leading to a state of inner turmoil.
React: The first step in the RASH path is reacting. This is where individuals respond immediately to situations or emotions without taking a moment to process or understand them.
Assume: Following the reaction, individuals often make assumptions. These assumptions can be about the intentions of others, the nature of the situation, or the meaning of their own feelings. These assumptions are often negative or fear-based, leading to misunderstanding and conflict.
Suppress: After reacting and making assumptions, individuals often try to suppress their emotions, especially if they're uncomfortable or negative. This suppression can lead to further inner turmoil as the suppressed emotions can resurface later, often in more intense and disruptive ways.
Habituate: Finally, if this cycle of reacting, assuming, and suppressing continues, it can become habitual. Habitual reactivity leads to ongoing inner turmoil and prevents the cultivation of inner peace.
To be RASH represents the pitfalls of habitual reactivity. By understanding the pitfalls, we can learn to navigate away from the path of being RASH and instead find a more skillful way to be.
Real-Life Example:
Let's consider an example of a person named Alex who is working in a corporate environment.
Alex has a new manager named Sarah, who has recently joined the team. Sarah has a different managing style than Alex's previous manager, and she tends to give feedback directly and openly. One day, Sarah provides critical feedback to Alex's project proposal in a team meeting.
React: Alex immediately feels embarrassed and angry. Instead of asking for clarification or expressing his feelings, he reacts defensively, making a sarcastic comment about Sarah's newness to the team.
Assume: After the meeting, Alex continues to stew over the incident. He assumes that Sarah's criticism means she doesn't value his work or respect him as a team member. He begins to fear for his job security and doubts his abilities, even though Sarah has not given any indication that his job is at risk.
Suppress: Instead of addressing his concerns with Sarah or discussing his feelings with a trusted colleague or friend, Alex tries to suppress his emotions. He tells himself that he's overreacting and that he needs to just "get over it". He doesn't want to appear weak or emotional, so he keeps everything bottled up.
Habituate: This cycle of reacting, assuming, and suppressing becomes a pattern for Alex. Every time Sarah, or anyone else gives him feedback, he reacts defensively, assumes the worst, and suppresses his feelings. This habitual tendency causes him to feel constant inner turmoil.
In this example, Alex is experiencing inner turmoil because he's following the RASH framework. He's reacting immediately without understanding the situation, making assumptions, suppressing his emotions, and allowing this unhealthy pattern to become a habit. To cultivate inner peace, Alex needs to break the RASH cycle. He could do this by pausing before reacting, questioning his assumptions, expressing his emotions in a healthy way, and developing new, more positive habits. In the next lesson, we’ll look at the WISE framework to help break free from the RASH cycle.