Passengers On A Bus

ByDavid Goodman

Passengers On A Bus Metaphor

Suppose you’re a bus driver, and all of your thoughts are your passengers. As soon as you start driving, one of your passengers pounds on the window. “Where are you going?” it shouts,“Are you sure this is the right way?” Then the other passengers get into the mix. One says that you have to make sensible choices. Another wants you to think let someone else decide where to go. Yet another is moaning that you shouldn’t even be driving in the first place because you might get into an accident.

If you took all of the passengers seriously, you wouldn’t be able to get anywhere, would you? But who’s actually driving the bus? The passengers are loud, and they get in the way, but in the end, you decide where to go. So think about where you want to go. Let the passengers grumble, and step on the accelerator.

Interpreting the “Passengers on a Bus” Metaphor

The “Passengers on a Bus” metaphor is a powerful visual framework used in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to illustrate the relationship between thoughts, emotions, and decision-making. It aims to help individuals recognize the role of their internal experiences—such as intrusive thoughts, self-doubt, or fears—and their agency in choosing how to respond to these experiences.

The Bus Driver and the Passengers

Imagine that you, the individual, are the driver of a bus. Your ultimate goal is to steer the vehicle to your chosen destination—this symbolizes moving toward the values or goals that you hold dear. Along for the ride are your passengers, which represent the various thoughts, emotions, memories, and fears you experience daily. Some passengers may be quiet observers, while others are loud, disruptive, and demanding. They represent critical self-talk, doubts, anxieties, and any other internal barriers that vie for your attention.

Common Challenges That the Metaphor Highlights

  1. Passengers Challenging Your Decisions

Some “passengers” may question your direction by planting doubt. For example, thoughts like “Are you sure this is the right way?” mimic self-doubt or indecision that can make you second-guess your path. These are common cognitive barriers that often lead to hesitation or paralysis when pursuing goals.

  1. Passengers Giving Conflicting Demands

Other passengers may shout conflicting advice, such as “Make more prudent choices!” or “You shouldn’t even be the driver!” This reflects the often overwhelming and contradictory nature of intrusive thoughts or external pressures, which can influence your confidence or decision-making abilities.

  1. Passengers Distracting or Overpowering You

Particularly loud or persistent passengers may attempt to seize your focus entirely, steering your attention away from the path ahead. These passengers are analogous to difficult emotions or recurring negative beliefs—”I’m not good enough,” “This will never work,” or “What if I fail?”—occupying your mental space and energy.

The Key Insight of the Metaphor

The central message of the metaphor is agency. While the passengers (your thoughts and emotions) may try to distract or direct you, they do not have control over the bus—you do. You, as the driver, decide where the bus goes. Despite their noise and interference, you retain the ability to stay on course toward your desired destination.

What ACT emphasizes here is the practice of ignoring the disruptive passengers—not by silencing, fighting, or throwing them off the bus—but by accepting their presence. Most importantly, those passengers cannot physically take control of the wheel unless you hand it over to them. By acknowledging their chatter and allowing them to exist without giving them undue power, you can stay committed to your path.

Practical Applications in ACT

This metaphor ties into several core ACT principles:

  1. Cognitive Defusion

The act of not taking the passengers too seriously represents defusion, a technique in ACT where individuals learn to perceive thoughts and emotions as transient mental events rather than absolute truths. Instead of treating every passenger’s shout as a directive, the bus driver acknowledges the noise without acting on it.

  1. Acceptance

The metaphor encourages acceptance of the passengers’ presence. Rather than trying to remove or argue with them, the driver tolerates the passengers’ voices, making space for them in the bus while staying focused on the road ahead.

  1. Values-Based Living

The bus route represents the driver’s values and goals. Despite the noise, the driver continues toward a destination aligned with personal meaning and purpose. This highlights the idea of committing to value-driven actions rather than letting internal discomfort derail progress.

  1. Psychological Flexibility

The ultimate aim of ACT, as illustrated in this metaphor, is psychological flexibility—the ability to act in alignment with one’s values, even in the presence of unpleasant thoughts or emotions. The driver demonstrates flexibility by prioritizing the destination over the noise, allowing the passengers to exist without resistance or avoidance.

Applying the Metaphor to Real Life

Consider a scenario where you’re preparing for an important career presentation. The “passengers” in your mind might include:

  • “What if I mess up?” (anxious thought)
  • “I’m not qualified enough to speak on this topic” (self-doubt)
  • “People won’t take me seriously” (fear of judgment).

These thoughts can feel overwhelming, and your initial instinct might be to engage with them—trying to silence them or argue against them. However, by applying the “Passengers on a Bus” metaphor, you realize that these thoughts are just noisy passengers. They cannot determine whether or not you deliver the presentation; only you have the wheel. Rather than letting them dictate your actions, you focus on what matters to you—sharing valuable insights and delivering a meaningful presentation.

Even as the passengers continue to grumble, you stay the course, acknowledging their presence without giving in to their demands.

Final Thoughts

The “Passengers on a Bus” metaphor is a practical, accessible way to illustrate the inner struggle many of us face when navigating challenging thoughts and emotions. By viewing yourself as the driver of the bus and recognizing that thoughts are simply passengers, you can take greater control of your decisions and actions. ACT doesn’t teach us to fight or silence difficult thoughts but rather to coexist with them while staying committed to our values and goals.

When you find yourself distracted by the noise of your passengers, remember this question: Who’s driving the bus?

The answer is always you.