polarized thinking
Cognitive distortions are just like they sound: they’re cognitions (thoughts or perceptions) we have that are distorted. In other words, they are mental filters we’ve created that are faulty ways of thinking. We have unknowingly created these filters for some reason—perhaps they bring us safety, or give us some sense of control or understanding of the world around us. But these filters also fuel anxiety and can result in negative self-worth, as we close our minds off to possibilities & complexities. There are many kinds of cognitive distortions, some of which I’ll highlight in various posts. Becoming aware of what cognitive distortions we tend to see our experiences through can be very helpful to start changing our perspective and challenging the way we see things. Awareness brings choices, and choices bring change!
One type of cognitive distortion Polarized Thinking. This cognitive distortion is when we resort to all-or-nothing, black-or-white, dichotomous thinking. Life is full of complexity & contradiction, so this distorted way of thinking keeps us from accepting many outcomes & possibilities. Polarized thinking also provides us with a false sense of control as we try to make sense of things by seeing only in limited outcomes. Those limited outcomes might sound like good/bad, right/wrong, perfect/failure.
Examples of Polarized Thinking:
“I made a mistake at work today so I’m a complete failure & my boss hates me.”
“I ate a cookie so my whole diet is blown, I may as well eat the whole box.”
When have you experienced polarized thinking?
