Challenging Ten of the Most Common Cognitive Distortions

We all go through traumas that shape the way we see the world. For example, we might have a series of negative experiences while traveling abroad, which leads us to conclude that the particular country and culture we visited was awful and inhospitable.

These trauma-informed biases become a lens through which we understand and evaluate the world. However, these lenses are often so warped, cracked, and badly scratched that we don’t see an accurate picture of the world. This is what we call cognitive distortions.

We all have cognitive distortions without even realizing it. These false assumptions and irrational thought patterns often amount to little more than misinformation and prejudice. We can challenge these things and change our minds when presented with other perspectives. However, sometimes these cognitive distortions influence our behavior to toxic degrees.

Unless we identify them and challenge them, they can keep us stuck in certain behaviors, they can poison our relationships, and they can erode our self-esteem.

Jesus once said that before we try to remove the speck of dust from someone else’s eye, we should first remove the log from our own. Challenging our own cognitive distortions means removing those cracked lenses that have been partially blinding us, and, for the first time, seeing a different, more accurate perspective. That is when we realize that the log in our own eye had been obscuring our vision for most of our lives.

The Ten Most Common Cognitive Distortions

When we have a warped idea about reality and constantly come to false conclusions about events, we will end up getting stuck. The more cognitive distortions we have, the more we will struggle to grow, heal, and advance in life. We don’t have to feel ashamed for being so affected by these cognitive distortions, but it is essential to confront them.

Personalization

Personalization is when you take the blame for everything that goes wrong. For example, your partner might be in a bad mood, and you automatically assume it is in relation to something you did. You might see a group of people laughing, and you assume they are mocking you. Centering yourself in every event is one of the most common and damaging cognitive distortions.

You challenge this distortion with a perspective shift. Refocus on the reality that not everything revolves around you. You will cause many things to happen in life, but you are not central to as central as you imagine.

Overgeneralization

• “The French are rude because that one guy cut me off when I was in Paris.”
• “I failed the test; I guess academia must not be for me.”
• “He didn’t reply to my text. Everyone is ignoring me!”

Broad conclusions like these are distortions of reality because each one is based on a single event or a selective piece of evidence.

The way to challenge these biases is to find exceptions to these statements. Life is so much more nuanced. One experience is not enough evidence to make sweeping conclusions.

Filtering

If you were the type of person who was disappointed by the single B amid a sea of A’s on your exam results, you were probably filtering. This is where you ignore all the positives and focus on the negative outcomes. Your perfect day is ruined by one interaction, and it is the single criticism that tanks your mood after giving your work presentation.

You challenge this cognitive distortion by practicing gratitude. Find the positives and celebrate them. Write them down, frame them, or keep a journal of them to remind you.

Mind Reading

This cognitive distortion is common, and it is more damaging to your self-esteem than all the rest. It is where you assume what others are thinking based on no actual evidence. You assume someone is mad at you for not saying hi, that they are bored with your company because they are silent, or that they haven’t forgiven you because you didn’t get an invite to a recent party.

The only way to challenge this is with direct and open communication. Be bold and ask direct questions. Clarify doubt and questioning, querying, and checking in with people.

Emotional Reasoning

This distortion comes from allowing your feelings to dictate your reality. You know that you have done something wrong because you feel guilty. You believe you are unlovable because you feel lonely. You know that the job isn’t the right one for you because it has caused you to struggle and feel overwhelmed. None of these are facts; they are feelings that will change.

This distortion is challenged by finding provable facts. Be diligent in looking for proof for your conclusions, beyond the way you feel. If it can be proven, it is true, and if not, it is only a feeling. Emotions obviously affect your mindset, but they should never dictate your reality.

Catastrophizing

If you always expect the worst-case scenario will happen, you are likely guilty of catastrophizing. You feel like you have ruined things by making one mistake, that something terrible must’ve happened because a friend is late, or that you have contracted a virus because you have a runny nose. This kind of thinking not only keeps you in a state of panic all the time, but it puts others on edge, too.

You need to learn to check reality. Just because something is possible does not mean it is likely. Make a point of noticing how often things go right, especially when you expected something other than a positive outcome.

All or Nothing Extreme Thinking

If you can’t see nuances, gray areas, or the middle ground, your view of reality is distorted. Life is messy and unpredictable, made of wonderful, neutral, and awful things. People are not your enemy for disagreeing with you. Even excellent people have flaws, and it wasn’t a total failure just because something went wrong. Your extreme thinking will alienate your loved ones unless you allow it to be challenged.

Fortune Telling

Accurately foretelling the future would be wonderful, but we can’t. You may sound confident making predictions with this cognitive distortion, such as you will never find love, culture will erode morals, or the year will end on a bad note, but there’s no way you can know that. We can only live one day at a time and do what we can in each present moment. That is your challenge.

“Should” Statements

Sometimes, a strict moral code is a distortion in our thinking that aggravates mental health issues. If we are so rigid in holding ourselves and others to this code, we will end up anxious, angry, and frustrated because life is imperfect. Our challenge is that we don’t always have to be successful, or strong, or even happy. Life is a mix of good and bad and in between.

Magnification and Minimization

We often exaggerate the importance of things beginning in our teens. We may focus on our favorite singers or sports stars, while also underestimating the value of other things, like spending time with our siblings. When this mode of thinking carries over into adulthood, it’s often a cognitive distortion. For example, we might downplay a compliment from someone we love, while fixating on a simple mistake we made at work.

As with so many of the other cognitive distortions, we need to challenge this by adopting proportional thinking. We must learn to keep things in perspective. There are real challenges, but they are balanced with genuine breakthroughs. It is only when we can identify both and distinguish them from each other that we begin seeing the world through a clear lens.

Discover a new way of thinking

It’s hard to challenge cognitive distortions alone because most of the time, we can’t see how they’re affecting us. Try speaking with a counselor about any cognitive distortions you’re concerned about. You may find a counselor in this online catalog, or our reception team can help you find someone appropriate. Connect with someone today to learn how to find freedom from cognitive distortions.