10 Thinking Errors Quiz

Study Notes

10 Common Thinking Errors

Black and White Thinking: Thinking in extremes (good or bad), without considering middle ground. Using absolute labels like "failure" or "hopeless". Judging based on a single event.
- Antidote: Consider shades of grey. Use "both/and" and "and" instead of "or".
Awfulizing/Catastrophizing: Exaggerating the importance or awfulness (or pleasantness) of events, assuming disaster, overestimating negative outcomes (e.g., a minor setback becomes an unending pattern of defeat).
- Antidote: Put thoughts in perspective, consider less awful explanations.
Personalizing: Taking responsibility for anything bad even if it's unrelated. Thinking everything is one's fault.
- Antidote: Remove yourself from the center of the problem and consider other possibilities.
Negative Focus: Focusing on negatives, ignoring positives, misinterpreting positives as negatives, fixating on weaknesses instead of strengths.
- Antidote: Practice being more objective, accepting positive feedback.
Generalization: Taking one isolated event and turning it into a general pattern. Using words like "always," "never," "everything," "nothing."
- Antidote: Replace broad statements with realistic and specific language.
Blaming: Attributing problems to others or external factors, avoiding self-reflection.
- Antidote: Reflect on personal contributions, take ownership.
Fortune Telling: Jumping to conclusions (often negative) about the future without evidence. Predicting others' intentions or outcomes based on assumptions.
- Antidote: Acknowledge assumptions may be wrong, explore alternative possibilities.
Fixed Rules and Demands: Having rigid rules and unrealistic expectations for oneself and others, using "musts," "shoulds," and "have tos."
- Antidote: Embrace flexibility; use more flexible language like "it would be nice if" or "I wish."
Emotional Reasoning: Using emotions as proof of reality (e.g., "I feel this way, therefore it must be true").
- Antidote: Question if there's evidence, outside of feelings, supporting your conclusions.
Low Frustration Tolerance: Assuming problems will be insurmountable (intolerable, unbearable). Minimizing coping capacity.
- Antidote: Reflect on past successes, remember ability to overcome challenges.