Exploring 10 Common Cognitive Distortions: A CBT Perspective
- Aphrodite Beidler
- Mar 8
- 2 min read
Here are ten main cognitive distortions according to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT):
Objective: Learn to identify your cognitive distortions.
Why is it important? Because distorted thoughts can trigger or intensify depression, anxiety and fuel arguments, erode trust and destroy relationships.
All-or-Nothing Thinking or Black-and-White Thinking
Viewing situations in extreme terms: either perfect or a complete failure - no middle ground.
Example: “If I don’t do this perfectly, I’m a total failure.”
Overgeneralizing
Making broad, sweeping conclusions based on a single event or experience.
Example: “I messed up this project, so I’ll never be good at anything.”
Selective Thinking
Focusing ONLY on negative aspects of a situation while ignoring the positive.
Example: “Who cares about the positive feedback for my presentation, everyone looked bored, it was a failure".
Disqualifying the Positive
Dismissing positive experiences or achievements as flukes or irrelevant.
Example: “They only said I did a good job because they felt sorry for me.”
Jumping to Conclusions
Making negative assumptions without sufficient evidence.
Two Common Forms:
Mind Reading: Assuming you know what others think (usually something negative).
Example: “She didn’t text me back—she must be mad at me.”
Fortune Telling: Predicting a negative outcome as if it’s certain.
Example: “I just know I’m going to fail this test.”
Magnify or Minimize
Exaggerating the importance of negative events while downplaying positives.
Example: “Making this mistake means I’ll never be successful.” (magnification)
Example: “Winning that award wasn’t a big deal; anyone could have done it.” (minimization)
Emotional Reasoning
Believing that emotions reflect all of the reality ignoring facts.
Example: “I feel like a failure, so I must be one.”
"Shoulding" Statements
Imposing rigid, unrealistic expectations on oneself or others.
Example: “I should never feel anxious.”
Example: “People should always treat me fairly.”
Labeling and Mislabeling
Assigning a fixed, negative label to oneself or others, rather than focusing on specific behaviors.
Example: “I failed that task—I’m a loser.”
Example: “He didn’t agree with me—he’s a terrible person.”
Personalization and Blame
Personalization: Taking excessive responsibility for external events beyond one’s control.
Example: “My friend is in a bad mood; it must be because of something I said.”
Blame: Attributing all problems to external factors while avoiding personal accountability.
Example: “My life is miserable because of my boss.”
ARE YOU ABLE TO RECOGNIZE one or more OF THESE DISTORTIONS IN YOUR THINKING? The most important thinking to remember is that they are distortions and they need you to correct them using your emotions + facts + resoning = wisdom!