Daily Life
“I made one mistake on my grocery list, so I can’t do anything right today."
All or Nothing
“I got a B on that paper; I’ll never be a good student.”
Forever & Always Brain
“He said they "nice catch" but he was just being nice”
Positives Don’t Count
“I felt nervous giving directions, so I must be terrible at explaining things.”
Emotional Reasoning
“I don’t want to start this project until I’m sure it’ll be perfect.”
Bossy Brain
Should/Must
“My girlfriend didn’t answer right away- she must be upset with me.”
Mind Reading
“I should have anticipated that accident - it’s all my fault.”
Blame Magnet
“I know the teacher thinks my question is dumb.”
Mind Reading
Because I felt rejected at lunch, I am unlikable
Jordan, age 10, got a math problem wrong at school. At recess he sat by himself, thinking:
“I’m terrible at math. I’ll never get good at it. My teacher probably thinks I’m the worst kid in class. I should already know everything, and I’ll probably mess up on tomorrow’s quiz too.”
When he got home, he didn’t even look at the 9 questions he got right because “those don’t really count.”
All or Nothing Thinking: “I’m terrible at math.”
Forever & Always / Overgeneralization: “I’ll never get good at it.”
Mind Reading: “My teacher probably thinks I’m the dumbest.”
Bossy Brain (“should”): “I should already know everything.”
Fortune Teller: “I’ll probably mess up tomorrow’s quiz.”
Positives Don’t Count: Ignoring the nine correct answers.