Common Thought Distortions
(adapted from Judith Beck)
Here’s a list of common thinking traps—patterns our minds fall into that can make us see things more negatively than they really are. These are normal habits of the mind, not personal flaws. They’re very common, and we all tend to have a few that show up most often.
All-or-Nothing Thinking
Seeing situations in black-and-white terms, with no middle ground.
“If I’m not perfect, I’m a total failure.”
“I missed one deadline, so I’m completely incompetent.”
Overgeneralization
Making broad negative conclusions based on a single event.
“I didn’t get the job; I’ll never be successful.”
“They ignored me today; nobody ever cares about me.”
Focusing on the negative
Focusing only on the negative details and ignoring any positives.
“My presentation had one mistake, so it was a disaster.”
“Everyone praised my work except one person who looked bored.”
Downplaying positives
Minimizing or rejecting positive experiences or achievements.
“That compliment was just them being polite.”
“Anyone could have done what I did.”
Mind reading
Assuming you know what others think without evidence.
“She didn’t say hi; she must be upset with me.”
“My boss thinks I’m incompetent.”
Fortune telling
Predicting negative outcomes without proof.
“I know I’m going to fail this exam.”
“This date will be awkward and go badly.”
Catastrophizing
Expecting the worst possible outcome and exaggerating how bad it will be.
“If I mess up, my whole career is ruined.”
“If I get sick, it will be a disaster.”
Emotional Reasoning
Believing something is true because you feel it strongly (rather than recognizing feelings as signals that can sometimes be misleading).
“I feel anxious, so this situation must be dangerous.”
“I feel like a failure, so I must be one.”
Should/Must Statements
Holding rigid rules about how things or people should be.
“I should always be in control of my emotions.”
“She should know what I’m thinking without me having to say it.”
Labeling
Assigning a harsh, global negative label to yourself or someone else based on one event.
“I failed the test; I’m such a loser.”
“He’s selfish because he didn’t help.”
Personalization
Taking responsibility for events outside your control.
“My friend is upset; it must be because of me.”
“The project failed because I didn’t do enough.”
Blaming
Focusing on who is at fault rather than what can be done.
“This happened because of them.”
“It’s all my fault that things went wrong.”
Intolerance of uncertainty
Struggling to accept unknown outcomes, leading to worry.
“I can’t stand not knowing what will happen.”
“What if something bad happens? I need to know now.”
Not accepting reality
Resisting or denying reality by wishing things were different.
“This shouldn’t have happened; it’s unfair.”
“I can’t accept that this is my situation.”
Magnification and Minimization
Exaggerating negatives and downplaying positives. Unlike negative filtering, which is about what you pay attention to, this is about how you judge the significance of what you notice.
“That one mistake ruined everything.” (Magnification)
“My successes don’t really matter.” (Minimization)