7 Types Of Thinking Error
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Seven Types of Thinking Errors With suggestions of how you could respond differently - The suggestions are essentially ideas for how you might create balancing thoughts to deal with the particular thinking, error types.
www.yourwaylife.com
www.renaissancelifetherapies.com
Seven Types of Thinking Error Most of the following descriptions concentrate on situations where the thinking error is overly negative rather than overly positive. What I am suggesting is that where possible you try to achieve a more balanced approach or way of thinking. For some people or in some instances, your rigid or dogmatic thought might involve being overly positive rather than overly negative. If that is the case for you, then a sensible focus for you may well be to restore a more balanced approach by tempering your excessive optimism with more realistic or measured evaluations or considerations www.yourwaylife.com www.renaissancelifetherapies.com
Seven Types of Thinking Error No 1
Type of thinking error
What you can try to do
Mind Reading
Try to generate some alternative possible explanations for what the other person is doing or saying & then evaluate the likelihood of each being accurate objectively
This involves, for example, assuming that others are thinking certain things about you or doing things for a particular reason
Obtain further information if this may help you to form a judgement or check with the person in question whether they are thinking what you imagine if that is practical Imagine purely for the sake of argument that you are right about the explanation of the other person’s behaviour. Try to clarify for yourself why that matters so much to you Ask yourself what is the most constructive response you can have to the possibility that you might be right in your estimation of what the other person is thinking
www.yourwaylife.com
Seven Types of Thinking Error No 2
Type of thinking error
What you can try to do
Catastrophising / Fortune Telling
This involves predicting how things will happen in an overly gloomy way
Check that your prediction is supported by evidence (and if it is not, then adjust it) Remind yourself of other possibilities Acknowledge that sometimes the future is not completely predictable If the “worst‟ does happen would it really be as bad as you think? – Rate it on a scale of seriousness out of 10 If the “worst‟ does happen, how could you react in a constructive way? Try to take reasonable risks If the situation involves doubts about your capabilities and what you can achieve or fears about how others may react if you behave in a certain way, then can you test this out in a reasonable way by trying the action out and seeing what the response is?
www.yourwaylife.com
Seven Types of Thinking Error No
3
Type of thinking error
What you can try to do Ask yourself if a more qualified or moderate claim might be more accurate, e.g. ‘You sometimes’ or ‘You often’ Do you want to come across as bossy or judgmental? – If not, then try to avoid saying bossy or judgmental things!
Over-Generalising
This involves saying things like: ‘You always…' or ‘You never…'
If you’re objecting to how someone else is acting, be specific in your comments. Explaining what you would like the other person to do differently, why, and how they might do it. Remember that people, and even situations, are often complex Allow for degrees and the possibility that some people may be good at some things and not so good at others. Allow other people to be imperfect sometimes (and the same goes for yourself) Try to describe what you would like to be different in a person’s actions or behaviour rather than labelling their personality If you are being self critical, see the suggestions in the last box, of no 7. in this table for dealing with “Excessive Self Criticism‟
www.yourwaylife.com
Seven Types of Thinking Error No
4
Type of thinking error
What you can try to do Don’t ignore your feelings (they can be useful pointers to important issues or facts) but at the same time don’t assume that your feelings indicate the truth of a situation, particularly if there are explanations as to why you might feel that way, which are not as extreme as the conclusions you’re drawing
Emotional Reasoning
This involves an over-reliance on your feelings to determine your actions or decisions
Try to assess what is the thought going through your head which is leading you to feel that way and then assess whether that thought is justified Ask yourself what your view of the situation would be if you were feeling calmer If possible, pause and give yourself some time to calm down and reflect further before you make a decision as to what to do If it is practical and you think it would be helpful, consider consulting someone else whose judgement you trust, before you react
www.yourwaylife.com
Seven Types of Thinking Error No 5
Type of thinking error
What you can try to do
Making Demands
Try to avoid dogmatic moralistic words like “must‟, “should‟ and maybe try using words such as “wish‟, “prefer‟, “want‟ or other words which reflect your feelings and wishes rather than impose a demand on others or on yourself
Ask yourself, will it be helpful if I impose demands or expectations (whether in This involves using words like “Must‟, “Should‟, “Ought‟ (Again this may be about word or thought)? An alternative might be to make a request or slightly to lower your expectations of the other person (and of yourself as well if you expect to be others or about yourself) always perfect in a particular role) Retain your own standards, ideals and preferences but try not to insist that the world (or you) always operate by them, as the world may not agree! Instead, acknowledge simply that you would prefer or like it if the world or another person (or yourself) acted differently (if appropriate you may express that preference to the other person - or write it down as an intended commitment for yourself if you are the person in question – it depends whether in the situation you think that will be helpful) aggressive or harmful, don’t collude If another person’s behaviour is obviously with that, but ask yourself what options you have to help you prevent the harmful effects or change the situation
www.yourwaylife.com
Seven Types of Thinking Error No 6
Type of thinking error Only Noticing or Remembering Negative Aspects
This involves paying little attention to or ignoring positive aspects of your situation and focusing disproportionately on negative aspects
What you can try to do Consciously look for positive aspects of situations and remind yourself of them Imagine you had to argue that there are some positives in the situation, what would you say?
Ask yourself what a reasonable friend would say about the situation and your conclusions?
www.yourwaylife.com
Seven Types of Thinking Error No 7
Type of thinking error
What you can try to do
Excessive Self Criticism
Don’t be so hard on yourself! Remember that no one is perfect and it’s OK for you to be imperfect occasionally!
This involves continually putting yourself down and focusing much more on what you see as your bad qualities, than on your good points
Set yourself a simple goal for what you will try to do differently next time and focus on that rather than on what has just happened Ask yourself what a friend would say are your good points and remind themselves of them as a balance for the self criticism
www.yourwaylife.com
www.yourwaylife.com
www.renaissancelifetherapies.com
Seven Types of Thinking Error Most of the following descriptions concentrate on situations where the thinking error is overly negative rather than overly positive. What I am suggesting is that where possible you try to achieve a more balanced approach or way of thinking. For some people or in some instances, your rigid or dogmatic thought might involve being overly positive rather than overly negative. If that is the case for you, then a sensible focus for you may well be to restore a more balanced approach by tempering your excessive optimism with more realistic or measured evaluations or considerations www.yourwaylife.com www.renaissancelifetherapies.com
Seven Types of Thinking Error No 1
Type of thinking error
What you can try to do
Mind Reading
Try to generate some alternative possible explanations for what the other person is doing or saying & then evaluate the likelihood of each being accurate objectively
This involves, for example, assuming that others are thinking certain things about you or doing things for a particular reason
Obtain further information if this may help you to form a judgement or check with the person in question whether they are thinking what you imagine if that is practical Imagine purely for the sake of argument that you are right about the explanation of the other person’s behaviour. Try to clarify for yourself why that matters so much to you Ask yourself what is the most constructive response you can have to the possibility that you might be right in your estimation of what the other person is thinking
www.yourwaylife.com
Seven Types of Thinking Error No 2
Type of thinking error
What you can try to do
Catastrophising / Fortune Telling
This involves predicting how things will happen in an overly gloomy way
Check that your prediction is supported by evidence (and if it is not, then adjust it) Remind yourself of other possibilities Acknowledge that sometimes the future is not completely predictable If the “worst‟ does happen would it really be as bad as you think? – Rate it on a scale of seriousness out of 10 If the “worst‟ does happen, how could you react in a constructive way? Try to take reasonable risks If the situation involves doubts about your capabilities and what you can achieve or fears about how others may react if you behave in a certain way, then can you test this out in a reasonable way by trying the action out and seeing what the response is?
www.yourwaylife.com
Seven Types of Thinking Error No
3
Type of thinking error
What you can try to do Ask yourself if a more qualified or moderate claim might be more accurate, e.g. ‘You sometimes’ or ‘You often’ Do you want to come across as bossy or judgmental? – If not, then try to avoid saying bossy or judgmental things!
Over-Generalising
This involves saying things like: ‘You always…' or ‘You never…'
If you’re objecting to how someone else is acting, be specific in your comments. Explaining what you would like the other person to do differently, why, and how they might do it. Remember that people, and even situations, are often complex Allow for degrees and the possibility that some people may be good at some things and not so good at others. Allow other people to be imperfect sometimes (and the same goes for yourself) Try to describe what you would like to be different in a person’s actions or behaviour rather than labelling their personality If you are being self critical, see the suggestions in the last box, of no 7. in this table for dealing with “Excessive Self Criticism‟
www.yourwaylife.com
Seven Types of Thinking Error No
4
Type of thinking error
What you can try to do Don’t ignore your feelings (they can be useful pointers to important issues or facts) but at the same time don’t assume that your feelings indicate the truth of a situation, particularly if there are explanations as to why you might feel that way, which are not as extreme as the conclusions you’re drawing
Emotional Reasoning
This involves an over-reliance on your feelings to determine your actions or decisions
Try to assess what is the thought going through your head which is leading you to feel that way and then assess whether that thought is justified Ask yourself what your view of the situation would be if you were feeling calmer If possible, pause and give yourself some time to calm down and reflect further before you make a decision as to what to do If it is practical and you think it would be helpful, consider consulting someone else whose judgement you trust, before you react
www.yourwaylife.com
Seven Types of Thinking Error No 5
Type of thinking error
What you can try to do
Making Demands
Try to avoid dogmatic moralistic words like “must‟, “should‟ and maybe try using words such as “wish‟, “prefer‟, “want‟ or other words which reflect your feelings and wishes rather than impose a demand on others or on yourself
Ask yourself, will it be helpful if I impose demands or expectations (whether in This involves using words like “Must‟, “Should‟, “Ought‟ (Again this may be about word or thought)? An alternative might be to make a request or slightly to lower your expectations of the other person (and of yourself as well if you expect to be others or about yourself) always perfect in a particular role) Retain your own standards, ideals and preferences but try not to insist that the world (or you) always operate by them, as the world may not agree! Instead, acknowledge simply that you would prefer or like it if the world or another person (or yourself) acted differently (if appropriate you may express that preference to the other person - or write it down as an intended commitment for yourself if you are the person in question – it depends whether in the situation you think that will be helpful) aggressive or harmful, don’t collude If another person’s behaviour is obviously with that, but ask yourself what options you have to help you prevent the harmful effects or change the situation
www.yourwaylife.com
Seven Types of Thinking Error No 6
Type of thinking error Only Noticing or Remembering Negative Aspects
This involves paying little attention to or ignoring positive aspects of your situation and focusing disproportionately on negative aspects
What you can try to do Consciously look for positive aspects of situations and remind yourself of them Imagine you had to argue that there are some positives in the situation, what would you say?
Ask yourself what a reasonable friend would say about the situation and your conclusions?
www.yourwaylife.com
Seven Types of Thinking Error No 7
Type of thinking error
What you can try to do
Excessive Self Criticism
Don’t be so hard on yourself! Remember that no one is perfect and it’s OK for you to be imperfect occasionally!
This involves continually putting yourself down and focusing much more on what you see as your bad qualities, than on your good points
Set yourself a simple goal for what you will try to do differently next time and focus on that rather than on what has just happened Ask yourself what a friend would say are your good points and remind themselves of them as a balance for the self criticism
www.yourwaylife.com
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