Cognitive Distortions

NOTE: These are just my raw notes, much of the text here will probably look like it was copied directly from sources. In many cases, I did jot down exactly what the author stated, but I do not claim this text as my own

are flaws in our thinking are known as cognitive distortions or thinking errors

Mental Filtering

• we tend to filter things out of our conscious awareness
• we focus on the negative events rather than the positive outcomes of a situation
• we focus on what's not working, rather than what is working
• a solution to this distortion is to focus more on the positive side of things

Jumping to Conclusions

• we tend to make irrational assumptions about people and circumstances
• we assume that something will hapen in the future, using predictive thinking or assume we know what someone else is thinking using mind reading
• rarely these conclusions are based on facts or proper evidence, but rather personal feelings and opinions
• this overuse of personal feelings or opinions can lead people to a narrow conclusion
• a solution to this is to question what other solutions or possibilities exist to the issue at hand

Personalization

• we constantly take the blame for everything that goes wrong in our lives
• we assign blame to ourselves even if the circumstances are outside of our control or our responsibilities
• a solution to this is to question the role you played in the outcome and how much of the blame do you share

Black and White Thinking

• we tend to see things as all or nothing, nothing in-between
• things are either good or bad, or right and wrong
• in other words, only the extremes of the situation, there is no middle ground or "gray area"
• individuals will never see situations or circumstances in an unbiased or neutral way
• a solution to this is to review the situation from the other point of view and take their points into consideration

Catastrophizing

• blowing circumstances out of control
• small things blow up into huge things easily
• usually issues or situations will be less important than originally perceived
• this practice of blowing things out of proportion can make them seem difficult or unsurmountable, when in reality they can be resolved with a little bit of effort
• a solution to this is to question just how important or bad the situation is

Overgeneralization

• making broad, general statements or conclusions based on a single piece of evidence or data
• this can be using a past experience or experiences to shape future expectations or beliefs, which can be dangerous
• a solution to this is to question whether evidence exists to confirm or even suggest that things will be the same

Labeling

• similar to overgeneralization, but a more specific topic or categorization
• when ideas or data is labelled, the belief is strengthened, and can be difficult to break the past categorization
• the use of labels is often based on previous experiences or data and usually does not take new facts or opinions into the equation as easily
• a solution to this is to challenge yourself to find and verify evidence that disproves the label being applied to the situation, or confirm new evidence that does in-fact match the previous labelling

Shoulding and Musting

• making unrealistic and unreasonable demands on individuals and/or others
• using phrases such as "I must", "I should", "you must", "you should", etc.
• statements apply additional pressure to the situation for the individual(s)
• sets people up for failure immediately and often alternatives are not evaluated or even mentioned
• a solution to this is to question whether things must be done a certain way, consider additional facts or alternative solutions before applying the "should" or "must" tag

Emotional Reasoning

• we interpret our experience of reality based upon how we are feeling at the current moment
• our mood can drive our decision, which is unhealthy
• having a bad day when you need to make that decision to apply for a loan, can create a sense of dread or discomfort for future experiences of borrowing money
• a solution to this is to question whether your emotinal state-of-mind is preventing you from seeing things clearly

Magnification and Minimization

• we tend to magnify the positive attributes of another person
• we also minify our own positive attributes
• you talk down your positives to lower people's expectations
• you are devaluing yourself
• this is not the same as being humble, but there is a line where it goes from humility to devalulization
• a solution to this is to find your reasons for why you are deserving and capable

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Sources

• 10 Cognitive Distortions Sabotaging Your Brain - iqdoodle.com