15 Common Cognitive Distortions

By JOHN M. GROHOL, PSY.D.

What’s a cognitive distortion and why do so many people have them? Cognitive distortions are simply
ways that our mind convinces us of something that isn’t really true. These inaccurate thoughts are usually
used to reinforce negative thinking or emotions — telling ourselves things that sound rational and accurate,
but really only serve to keep us feeling bad about ourselves.

For instance, a person might tell themselves, “I always fail when I try to do something new; I therefore fail
at everything I try.” This is an example of “black or white” (or polarized) thinking. The person is only
seeing things in absolutes — that if they fail at one thing, they must fail at all things. If they added, “I must
be a complete loser and failure” to their thinking, that would also be an example of overgeneralization —
taking a failure at one specific task and generalizing it their very self and identity.

Cognitive distortions are at the core of what many cognitive-behavioral and other kinds of therapists try
and help a person learn to change in psychotherapy. By learning to correctly identify this kind of “stinkin’
thinkin’,” a person can then answer the negative thinking back, and refute it. By refuting the negative
thinking over and over again, it will slowly diminish overtime and be automatically replaced by more
rational, balanced thinking.

Cognitive Distortions

Aaron Beck first proposed the theory behind cognitive distortions and David Burns was responsible for
popularizing it with common names and examples for the distortions.

1. Filtering.

We take the negative details and magnify them while filtering out all positive aspects of a situation. For
instance, a person may pick out a single, unpleasant detail and dwell on it exclusively so that their vision of
reality becomes darkened or distorted.

2. Polarized Thinking.

Things are either “black-or-white.” We have to be perfect or we’re a failure–there is no middle ground.
You place people or situations in “either/or” categories, with no shades of gray or allowing for the
complexity of most people and situations. If your performance falls short of perfect, you see yourself as a
total failure.

3. Overgeneralization.

We come to a general conclusion based on a single incident or piece of evidence. If something bad happens
once, we expect it to happen over and over again. A person may see a single, unpleasant event as a never-
ending pattern of defeat.

4. Jumping to Conclusions.

Without individuals saying so, we know what they are feeling and why they act the way they do. In
particular, we are able to determine how people are feeling toward us. For example, a person may conclude
that someone is reacting negatively toward them and don’t actually bother to find out if they are correct.
Another example is a person may anticipate that things will turn out badly, and will feel convinced that
their prediction is already an established fact.

5. Catastrophizing.

We expect disaster to strike, no matter what. This is also referred to as “magnifying or minimizing.” We
hear about a problem and use what if questions (e.g., “What if tragedy strikes?” “What if it happens to
me?”).

For example, a person might exaggerate the importance of insignificant events (such as their mistake, or
someone else’s achievement). Or they may inappropriately shrink the magnitude of significant events until
they appear tiny (for example, a person’s own desirable qualities or someone else’s imperfections).

6. Personalization.

Thinking that everything people do or say is some kind of reaction to us. We also compare ourselves to
others trying to determine who is smarter, better looking, etc. A person sees themselves as the cause of
some unhealthy external event that the were not responsible for. For example, “We were late to the dinner
party and caused the hostess to overcook the meal. If I had only pushed my husband to leave on time, this
wouldn’t have happened.”

7. Control Fallacies.

If we feel externally controlled, we see ourselves as helpless a victim of fate. For example, “I can’t help it
if the quality of the work is poor, my boss demanded I work overtime on it.” The fallacy of internal control
has us assuming responsibility for the pain and happiness of everyone around us. For example, “Why aren’t
you happy? Is it because of something I did?”

8. Fallacy of Fairness.

We feel resentful because we think we know what is fair, but other people won’t agree with us. As our
parents tell us, “Life is always fair,” and people who go through life applying a measuring ruler against
every situation judging its “fairness” will often feel badly and negative because of it.

9. Blaming.

We hold other people responsible for our pain, or take the other track and blame ourselves for every
problem. For example, “Stop making me feel bad about myself!” Nobody can “make” us feel any particular
way — only we have control over our own emotions and emotional reactions.

10. Shoulds.

We have a list of ironclad rules about how others and we should behave. People who break the rules make
us angry, and we feel guilty when we violate these rules. A person may often believe they are trying to
motivate themselves with shoulds and shouldn’ts, as if they have to be punished before they can do
anything.

For example, “I really should exercise. I shouldn’t be so lazy.” Musts and oughts are also offenders. The
emotional consequence is guilt. When a person directs should statements toward others, they often feel
anger, frustration and resentment.
11. Emotional Reasoning.

We believe that what we feel must be true automatically. If we feel stupid and boring, then we must be
stupid and boring. You assume that your unhealthy emotions reflect he way things really are — “I feel it,
therefore it must be true.”

12. Fallacy of Change.

We expect that other people will change to suit us if we just pressure or cajole them enough. We need to
change people because our hopes for happiness seem to depend entirely on them.

13. Global Labeling.

We generalize one or two qualities into a negative global judgment. These are extreme forms of
generalizing, and are also referred to as “labeling” and “mislabeling.” Instead of describing an error in
context of a specific situation, a person will attach an unhealthy label to themselves.

For example, they may say, “I’m a loser” in a situation where they failed at a specific task. When someone
else’s behavior rubs a person the wrong way, they may attach an unhealthy label to him, such as “He’s a
real jerk.” Mislabeling involves describing an event with language that is highly colored and emotionally
loaded. For example, instead of saying someone drops her children off at daycare every day, a person who
is mislabeling might say that “she abandons her children to strangers.”

14. Always Being Right.

We are continually on trial to prove that our opinions and actions are correct. Being wrong is unthinkable
and we will go to any length to demonstrate our rightness. For example, “I don’t care how badly arguing
with me makes you feel, I’m going to win this argument no matter what because I’m right.” Being right
often is more important than the feelings of others around a person who engages in this cognitive distortion,
even loved ones.

15. Heaven’s Reward Fallacy.

We expect our sacrifice and self-denial to pay off, as if someone is keeping score. We feel bitter when the
reward doesn’t come.

So now that you know what cognitive distortions are, how do you go about undoing them? Read how in
Fixing Cognitive Distortions. (Below)

References:

Beck, A. T. (1976). Cognitive therapies and emotional disorders. New York: New American Library.

Burns, D. D. (1980). Feeling good: The new mood therapy. New York: New American Library.