Post by Admin on Oct 24, 2021 13:09:09 GMT
How Black and White Thinking Hurts You (and What You Can Do to Change It)
Black and white thinking is the tendency to think in extremes: I am a brilliant success, or I am an utter failure. My boyfriend is an angel, or He’s the devil incarnate.
This thought pattern, which the American Psychological Association also calls dichotomous or polarized thinking, is considered a cognitive distortion because it keeps us from seeing the world as it often is: complex, nuanced, and full of all the shades in between.
An all-or-nothing mindset doesn’t allow us to find the middle ground. And let’s face it: There’s a reason most people don’t live on Everest or in the Mariana Trench. It’s hard to sustain life at those extremes.
What it sounds like
Certain words can alert you that your thoughts are becoming extreme.
always
never
impossible
disaster
furious
ruined
perfect
www.healthline.com/health/mental-health/black-and-white-thinking
Black and white thinking is the tendency to think in extremes: I am a brilliant success, or I am an utter failure. My boyfriend is an angel, or He’s the devil incarnate.
This thought pattern, which the American Psychological Association also calls dichotomous or polarized thinking, is considered a cognitive distortion because it keeps us from seeing the world as it often is: complex, nuanced, and full of all the shades in between.
An all-or-nothing mindset doesn’t allow us to find the middle ground. And let’s face it: There’s a reason most people don’t live on Everest or in the Mariana Trench. It’s hard to sustain life at those extremes.
What it sounds like
Certain words can alert you that your thoughts are becoming extreme.
always
never
impossible
disaster
furious
ruined
perfect
www.healthline.com/health/mental-health/black-and-white-thinking