15 Types of Distorted Thinking
Filtering.
We take the negative details and magnify them while filtering out all positive aspects of a situation.
For instance, a person may pick out a single, unpleasant detail and dwell on it exclusively so that
their vision of reality becomes darkened or distorted
Polarized Thinking ( or “Black and White” Thinking).
In polarized thinking, things are either “black-or-white.” We have to be perfect or we’re a failure
there is middle ground. You place people or situations in “either/or” categories, with no shades of
gray or allowing for the complexity of most people and situations. If your performance falls short of
perfect, you see yourself as a total failure.
Overgeneralization.
In this cognitive distortion, we come to a general conclusion based on a single incident or a single
piece of evidence. If something bad happens only once, we expect it to happen over and over.
A person may see a single, unpleasant event as part of a never-ending pattern of defeat.
Jumping to Conclusions.
Without individuals saying so, we know what they are feeling and why they act the way they do.
In particular, we are able to determine how people are feeling toward us.
For example, a person may conclude that someone is reacting negatively toward them but doesn’t
actually bother to find out if they are correct. Another example is a person may anticipate that things
will turn out badly, and will feel convinced that their prediction is already an established fact.
Catastrophizing.
We expect disaster to strike, no matter what. This is also referred to as “magnifying or minimizing.”
We hear about a problem and use what if questions (e.g., “What if tragedy strikes?” “What if it happens
to me?”).
For example, a person might exaggerate the importance of insignificant events (such as their mistake,
or someone else’s achievement). Or they may inappropriately shrink the magnitude of significant
events until they appear tiny (for example, a person’s own desirable qualities or someone else’s
imperfections).
Personalization.
Personalization is a distortion where a person believes that everything others do or say is some kind of
direct, personal reaction to the person. We also compare ourselves to others trying to determine who
Is smarter, better looking, etc.
A person engaging in personalization may also see themselves as the cause of some unhealthy external
event that they were not responsible for. For example, “We were late to the dinner party and caused the
hostess to overcook the meal. If I had only pushed my husband to leave on time, this wouldn’t have
happened.”
Control Fallacies.
If we feel externally controlled, we see ourselves as helpless a victim of fate. For example, “ I can’t help
it if the quality of the work is poor; my boss demanded I work overtime on it. “The fallacy of internal
control has us assuming responsibility for the pain and happiness of everyone around us . For
example, “Why aren’t you happy? Is it because of something I did?
Fallacy of Fairness.
We feel resentful because we think we know what is fair, but other people won’t agree with us. As our
parents tell us, “Life is always fair,” and people who go through life applying a measuring ruler against
every situation judging its “fairness” will often feel badly and negative because of it. Is life fair for
anyone? Does fairness really exist?
Blaming.
We hold other people responsible for our pain or take the other track and blame ourselves for every
problem. For example, “Stop making me feel bad about myself!” Nobody can “make” us feel any particular
way --- only we have control over our own emotions and emotional reactions.
10.Shoulds.
We have a list of ironclad rules about how others and we should behave. People who break the rules make
us angry, and we feel guilty when we violate these rules. A person may often believe they are trying to
motivate themselves with shoulds and shouldn’ts, as if they have to be punished before they can do
anything.
For example, “I really should exercise. I shouldn’t be so lazy.” Musts and oughts are also offenders. The
emotional consequence is guilt. When a person directs should statements toward others, they often
feel anger, frustration and resentment.
11. Emotional Reasoning.
We believe that what we feel must be true automatically. If we feel stupid and boring, then we must be
Stupid and boring. You assume that your unhealthy emotions reflect the way things really are-------
“ I feel it, therefore it must be true.”
12.Fallacy of Change.
We expect that other people will change to suit us if we just pressure or cajole them enough. We need
To change people because our hopes for happiness seem to depend entirely on them.
13.Global Labeling.
We generalize one or two qualities into a negative global judgement. These are extreme forms of
Generalizing, and are also referred to as “labeling” and “mislabeling.” Instead of describing an error in
context of a specific situation, a person will attach an unhealthy label to themselves.
For example, they may say, “I’m a loser” in a situation where they failed at a specific task. When
someone else’s behavior rus a person the wrong way, they may attach an unhealthy label to him,
Such as “He’s a real jerk,” Mislabeling involves describing an event with language that is highly colored
and emotionally loaded. For example, instead of saying someone drops her children off at daycare
every day, a person who is mislabeling might say that “she abandons her children to strangers.”
14.Always Being Right.
We are continually on trial to prove that our onions and actions are correct. Being wrong is unthinkable
and we will go to any length to demonstrate our rightness. For example, “I don’t care how badly arguing
with me makes you feel, I’m going to win this argument no matter what because I’m right.” Being right
Often is more important than the feelings of others around a person who engages in this cognitive
Distortion, even loved ones.
15.Heaven’s Reward Fallacy.
We expect our sacrifice and self-denial to pay off, as if someone is keeping score. We feel bitter when
the reward doesn’t come.
So now that you know what cognitive distortions are, how do you go about undoing them?
References:
Beck, A.T (1976) Cognitive Therapies and emotional disorders. New York New American Library
Burns, D.D (1980) Feeling Good: The new mood therapy. New York New American Library
From “The Feeling Good Handbook” by David D.Burns M.D. 1989