15 Common Cognitive Distortions (Updated With Examples)

A similar diagram is in the book, "Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Made Simple: 10 Strategies for Managing Anxiety, Depression, Anger, Panic, and Worry" by Seth J. Gillihan.

 

 

(I found this diagram to have the best descriptions when doing an image search.  Sorry about the overlay about the paid version to remove the mark though.)

 

Update:  I decided to give an example for each one:

 

Catastrophizing

Someone is preparing for a job interview.  They start thinking, "What if I completely mess up?  They'll think I'm incompetent, and I'll never get a job.  I'll end up ruining my career and won't be able to support myself."  This thought spiral escalates a single event – a challenging interview – into a disastrous, life-altering scenario without evidence.

"Should" Statements

Someone might think, "Life should always reward hard work and good intentions.  If it doesn’t, then life is cruel and meaningless." While it's natural to feel this way when facing injustices, this expectation can create bitterness, as life doesn’t always follow a clear cause-and-effect pattern of fairness.

Magnification

A person has a disagreement with a close friend, and they think, "This argument is the end of our friendship.  They probably don’t like me anymore, and we’ll never be as close as we were."  This takes a single conflict and blows it out of proportion, assuming the worst about the relationship without considering the context or history.

Minimization

A person works hard on a creative project, like designing a 3D model or animation, and receives praise for their work.  Instead of appreciating the feedback, they think, "It’s not that impressive.  Anyone with the right software could do it."  This dismisses the skill, effort, and creativity they brought to the table.

Emotional Reasoning

A person feels lonely and thinks, "I feel unlovable, so it must mean that no one actually cares about me."  They interpret their feeling of loneliness as proof of being unworthy of love or connection, even though there’s no factual basis for this conclusion.

Mental Filter

A person attends a dinner and has several enjoyable conversations, but they accidentally spill a drink at one point.  Later, they think, "Everyone probably remembers how clumsy I was," focusing solely on that one awkward moment and ignoring all the positive interactions they had throughout the evening.

Disqualify The Positive

A city organizes a community clean-up day, and hundreds of volunteers show up, collecting trash and beautifying the area.  Afterward, a local official says, "This doesn’t really reflect the community’s spirit.  They probably just came because it was a nice day and they had nothing better to do."  This dismisses the volunteers’ enthusiasm and commitment to improving their community.

Black And White Thinking aka All-Or-Nothing Thinking

A person hears about a natural disaster, such as a hurricane causing widespread damage, and thinks, "This region is completely uninhabitable now and will never recover."  This view disregards the resilience of communities and the historical evidence of recovery and rebuilding after similar disasters.

Personalization

A person notices that their neighbor hasn’t been as chatty lately and thinks, "It must be because I did something to annoy them.  Maybe they’re upset with me."  They take their neighbor’s behavior personally, even though there might be other explanations, such as the neighbor being busy, stressed, or preoccupied with personal matters.

Blaming

A member of a spiritual group experiences personal struggles and thinks, "This is the group’s fault.  They didn’t give me the support or guidance I needed."  They place full responsibility on the group for their difficulties, without considering other contributing factors, like personal decisions, external circumstances, or their own efforts in seeking help.

Jumping To Conclusions

A person sends a text to a friend and doesn’t receive a reply for several hours.  They think, "They must be upset with me or ignoring me."  They jump to a negative conclusion without considering other possibilities, such as the friend being busy, their phone being off, or simply forgetting to reply.

Mind Reading

A person attends a book club meeting and shares their thoughts on the novel.  Later, they notice someone in the group is quiet and think, "They must have thought my opinion was silly or uninformed."  They assume they know what the quiet person is thinking without any evidence.

Fortune Telling

A person is invited to a social event where they don’t know many people.  They think, "I’m not going to have a good time, and nobody will talk to me."  They predict a negative outcome without any evidence, letting their assumption affect their mood even before the event begins.

Overgeneralization  

A person goes on one bad date and thinks, "This always happens.  I’m never going to find a meaningful relationship."  They take one negative experience and apply it to their entire future, assuming that all potential relationships will turn out the same way.

Labeling

A person shares that they’ve been exploring different perspectives on a heated issue, and someone reacts by saying, "You're a shill." This label dismisses their thoughtful approach and reduces them to a negative stereotype, ignoring the value of open-mindedness and critical thinking.