Distorted Thinking Handout

Question 1

Polarized thinking

Answer 1

things are black or white, good or bad. You have to be perfect or you are a failure. There is no middle ground

Question 1

Filtering

Answer 1

you take negative details and magnify them while filtering out all positive aspects of a situations

Question 2

Overgeneralization

Answer 2

you come to a general conclusion based on a single incident or piece of evidence. If something had happened once, you expect it to happen over and over again

Question 3

Mind reading

Answer 3

Without saying so, you know what people are feeling and why they think the way they do. In particular, you are able to divine how people are feeling toward you.

Question 4

Catastrophizing

Answer 4

You expect disaster. You notice or hear about a problem and start what ifs: what if tragedy strikes? What if it happens to you?

Question 5

Personalization

Answer 5

thinking about everything people do or say is some kind of reaction to you. You also compare yourself to others, trying to determine who’s smarter, better-looking, etc.

Question 6

Control fallacies

Answer 6

if you feel externally controlled, you see yourself as helpless, a victim of fate. The fallacy of internal control has you responsible for the pain and happiness of everyone around you.

Question 7

Fallacy of fairness

Answer 7

you feel resentful because you think you know what’s fair but other people won’t agree with you

Question 8

Blaming

Answer 8

you hold other people responsible for your pain, or take the other tack and blame yourself for every problem or reversal

Question 9

Should’s

Answer 9

you have a list of ironclad rules about how you and other people should act. People who break the rules anger you and you feel guilty if you violate the rules.

Question 10

Emotional reasoning

Answer 10

you believe that what you feel must be true - automatically. If you feel stupid and boring, then you must be stupid and boring.

Question 11

The fallacy of change

Answer 11

you expect that other people will change to suit you if you just pressure or cajole them enough. You need to change people because your hopes for happiness seem to depend entirely on them.

Question 12

Global Labeling

Answer 12

you generalize one or two qualities into a negative global judgment.

Question 13

Being right

Answer 13

you are continually on trial to prove that your opinions and actions are correct. Being wrong is unthinkable and you will go to any length to demonstrate your rightness.

Question 14

Heaven’s reward fallacy

Answer 14

you expect all your sacrifice and self-denial to pay off as if there were someone keeping score. You feel bitter when the reward doesn’t come.