Cognitive distortions are irrational and often harmful thought patterns that skew our perception of reality. These distortions can lead to negative emotions, poor decision-making, and unhealthy behaviors. Here are some common cognitive distortions:
1. All-or-Nothing Thinking (Black-and-White Thinking)
- Viewing situations in only two extremes: either success or failure, good or bad, with no middle ground. For example, "If I don’t get this promotion, I’m a complete failure."
2. Overgeneralization
- Making broad, sweeping conclusions based on a single event or piece of evidence. For instance, "I didn’t do well in this presentation, so I’ll never be good at public speaking."
3. Mental Filtering
- Focusing exclusively on the negative aspects of a situation and ignoring the positive. For example, "I made one mistake in the project, so it was a disaster," despite many other successes.
4. Disqualifying the Positive
- Rejecting or downplaying positive experiences or accomplishments. You might think, "That compliment doesn’t count because they were just being nice."
5. Jumping to Conclusions
- Assuming you know what others are thinking (mind reading) or predicting the future without evidence (fortune-telling). For example, "My boss didn’t respond to my email right away; she must think my idea is terrible."
6. Catastrophizing (Magnification)
- Blowing a situation out of proportion and expecting the worst possible outcome. For instance, "If I make a mistake in this meeting, I’ll lose my job."
7. Minimization
- Downplaying or underestimating the significance of positive events, achievements, or strengths. For example, "That award wasn’t a big deal; anyone could have gotten it."
8. Emotional Reasoning
- Believing that your emotions reflect reality. For example, "I feel anxious about this task, so it must be too difficult for me to handle."
9. "Should" Statements
- Holding yourself or others to rigid, unrealistic standards using words like "should," "must," or "ought." For example, "I should always perform perfectly, or I’ll never succeed."
10. Labeling and Mislabeling
- Applying harsh labels to yourself or others based on one action or event. For example, "I missed the deadline; I’m a failure," or "He forgot my birthday; he’s so selfish."
11. Personalization
- Blaming yourself for things beyond your control or taking responsibility for situations that are not entirely your fault. For example, "The project failed because I wasn’t good enough," even though other factors were involved.
12. Blaming
- The opposite of personalization, this involves blaming others for your own problems or unhappiness. For example, "I’m unhappy at work because my boss is unreasonable," without acknowledging your role in the situation.
13. Magnifying the Negative / Minimizing the Positive
- Focusing on and exaggerating negative aspects of a situation while downplaying positive ones. For example, "I got five positive reviews, but that one criticism means I’m terrible at my job."
14. Fortune-Telling
- Predicting that things will turn out badly, without any evidence. For example, "I just know this presentation will be a disaster."
15. Mind Reading
- Assuming you know what others are thinking, often in a negative way. For example, "She didn’t reply to my message, so she must be mad at me."
Addressing these distortions through awareness, cognitive-behavioral techniques, or coaching can help foster healthier thinking patterns and reduce their negative impact on daily life.
