Thinking Traps
A teen gets 89% on a test but says, "I'm a complete failure because I didn't get 100%."
All-or-Nothing Thinking
Mind reading
Someone thinks, "I should never need help from anyone."
Should Statements
A teen thinks, "my parents argued, so it must be my fault."
Personalization
"I'm nervous, so I know something bad will happen."
Emotional reasoning
After one friend cancels plans, someone thinks, "Nobody ever wants to hand out with me."
Overgeneralization
You think, "I know I'm going to embarrass myself at the party," before you even arrive.
Fortune-telling
A person believes, "If I work hard nothing bad should ever happen to me."
Heaven's reward fallacy
Someone believes they can control how everyone feels and acts.
Control fallacy
"I can't change anything about my life; everything is out of my hands."
Control Fallacy
A student focuses only on one negative and ignores ten compliments
Mental filter
You get one answer wrong and think "I'm going to fail the entire class."
Catastrophizing
Someone says, "Life is unfair because I didn't get the same reward as everyone else."
Fallacy of fairness
A person believes, "I can only be happy if other people change first."
Fallacy of change
"I did well on the assignment, but it was easy, so it doesn't count."
disqualifying the positive
Someone receives praise for a project but says, "They're just being nice. It wasn't actually good."
Disqualifying the positive
You have a bad feeling about a presentation and conclude, "This is going to be a disaster."
Emotional reasoning
A teen says, "If my friend really cared about me, they would know what I need without me asking."
Unspoken rule/Should Statement
Someone says, "I failed because I'm a loser," instead of recognizing that they were unprepared for the test.
Mislabeling
"One awkward conversation means I'll never make friends."
Overgeneralization
A teen says, "I made one mistake, so I'm stupid."
Labeling
You assume your friend is angry because they used a period in a text message.
Mind reading
Someone believes, "I must win every argument to prove I'm right."
Always being right
"I'm fine. Other people have way bigger problems than me."
Minimization
"I deserve good things because I've suffered, so life owes me a reward."
Heaven's reward fallacy