All-or-Nothing Thinking (Black and White Thinking) in Politics
Channel: Alex Zorach
Date: 2018-06-26

All or nothing thinking, also called black and white thinking, is a common fallacy of thinking or reasoning error. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy treats this as a "cognitive distortion", and works to root it out as a way of treating or overcoming depression and other mental disorders.

In this video I explain how this same concept can be applied to political dialogue. The polarized political atmosphere in the U.S. is such that this type of thinking is rampant. By learning to identify, challenge, and overcome this way of thinking, especially in your own thoughts and words, you can adopt a more empowering approach to political dialogue that can make you better able to influence others.

I give some examples, using the topic of racism. I talk about how the "you're either with us or against us" way of thinking can both blind us to our own internalized racism, and severely hinder our ability to challenge and break down racism harbored by others.