Cognitive distortions
Cognitive distortions are irrational or biased patterns of thinking that can perpetuate negative emotions, anxiety, and stress. They are often addressed in cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). Below is a table summarizing common cognitive distortions:
| Cognitive Distortion | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| All-or-Nothing Thinking | Viewing situations in absolute terms, with no middle ground. | “If I don’t get an A on this test, I’m a complete failure.” |
| Overgeneralization | Drawing broad conclusions based on a single event. | “I didn’t get the job, so I’ll never succeed in my career.” |
| Mental Filtering | Focusing solely on the negative aspects of a situation while ignoring the positives. | “I made one mistake in my presentation, so it was a disaster.” |
| Disqualifying the Positive | Rejecting positive experiences by insisting they don’t count. | “They said I did well, but they were just being nice.” |
| Jumping to Conclusions | Making assumptions without sufficient evidence. | “They didn’t reply to my message, so they must hate me.” |
| Catastrophizing | Expecting the worst possible outcome. | “If I mess up this interview, my whole life will be ruined.” |
| Minimization | Downplaying positive events or qualities. | “It’s not a big deal that I helped; anyone could have done it.” |
| Personalization | Attributing external events to oneself without evidence. | “It’s my fault the team didn’t perform well.” |
| Should Statements | Imposing rigid rules or expectations on oneself or others. | “I should always be productive; otherwise, I’m useless.” |
| Emotional Reasoning | Believing that emotions reflect the truth. | “I feel like a failure, so I must be a failure.” |
| Labeling | Assigning a global label to oneself or others based on one instance or trait. | “I forgot to send the email; I’m so stupid.” |
| Blaming | Blaming oneself or others excessively for problems. | “It’s entirely my fault the project didn’t succeed.” or “It’s all their fault we missed the deadline.” |
| Magnification and Minimization | Exaggerating the importance of negative events while downplaying positives. | “Failing this quiz means I’ll fail the whole course.” |
| Mind Reading | Assuming you know what others are thinking without evidence. | “They didn’t say hello, so they must think I’m annoying.” |
| Fortune-Telling | Predicting future outcomes without evidence. | “I’ll never recover from this breakup.” |