-
ALL-OR-NOTHING THINKING: You
look at things in absolute, black-and-
white categories. If things aren't perfect,
they are a total failure.
-
OVERGENERALIZATION: You view a negative even as a never-ending
pattern of defeat.
-
MENTAL FILTER: You dwell on the negatives and ignore
the positives.
-
DISCOUNTING/DISQUALIFYING THE POSITIVES: You insist
that your
accomplishments or positive qualities "don't count".
-
JUMPING TO CONCLUSIONS/MIND-READING: Not checking out what other people are thinking. You
assume
that people are reacting negatively to you when there is not definite evidence
for this.
-
FORTUNE-TELLING—assuming
that
predictions are already facts. You
arbitrarily predict that things
will turn out badly.
-
MAGNIFICATION OR MINIMIZATION: You blow things way out
of proportion
(catastrophic) or you shrink their importance inappropriately.
-
EMOTIONAL REASONING: You reason from how you feel: "I
fee/ like an
idiot, so I really must be one". Or "I don't
feel
like doing this so I'll put it off'.
-
"SHOULD" STATEMENTS: You criticize yourself or other
people with
"shoulds" or "shouldn'ts."
"Musts," "oughts," and "have tos" are similar
offenders.
-
LABELING AND MISLABELING: You identify with your
shortcomings.
Instead of saying "I
made a mistake," you tell yourself, "I'm a jerk," or "a fool"
or "a loser." It is directed at self as well
as others "He's an idiot."
-
PERSONALIZATION
AND BLAMING: You blame yourself for something you
weren't entirely responsible for, or you blame other people and overlook ways
that your own attitudes and behavior might
contribute to a problem. "I'm
responsible
for what
other people do—So I must try to control them.
