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Many people over generalize without realizing it. This is toxic to rational thinking. Try to be aware of any over-generalizations you may make in day-to-day life. Over-generalizations are taking one particular event and seeing it as evidence of how things have always been or always will be. For example, if you do bad on one test you may think, "I'm stupid and always fail at school." In making this statement, you're glossing other academic success you have had in the past in the light of one event. All-or-nothing thinking is a form of generalizing where you see things in black and white terms. All-or-nothing thinking places things in only one or two categories: good or bad, success or failure, etc. This results in missing the shades of gray in a situation. For example, if you get a mixed review of your performance at work you may see yourself as a failure. In reality, you're likely a competent worker with some areas that need improvement. Filtering out positive is a thought pattern in which too much focus is placed on the bad aspects of a situation. If 20 good things happen in a day followed by 1 bad thing, you may focus entirely on the negative. For example, say you make a single mistake during a musical performance but otherwise play perfectly. You might be tempted to declare the performance a disaster. In reality, you are probably the only person who noticed a single wrong note. People make assumptions about all kinds of situations. This can lead to unreasonable thinking. Strive to be aware of any assumptions you make. Sometimes, people engage in mind-reading. That is, you make assumptions about what others think of your or a situation. In reality, it's impossible to know what another person is thinking without asking. For example, you may find yourself thinking "I bet everyone thought I was an idiot in that meeting" or "I bet that co-worker thinks I talk too much." If you notice yourself engaging in such thoughts, try to remind yourself that you are probably not as good at reading people's opinions as you think you are. Fortune telling is a form of thinking where you think you know what will happen in the future. This can be in the form of a defeatist attitude. For example, "I'll never be able to stick to a diet and lose weight" or "I know I'm going to sound like an idiot during my presentation tomorrow." Keep in mind that, in reality, you cannot know what will happen tomorrow or in the coming weeks. Many people catastrophize situations when they're upset or stressed. For example, you might think you'll be financially bankrupt forever if you need to pay for car repairs one month. If you get rejected romantically, you might decide you're not destined for love. Try to keep in mind that one setback or misfortune is not necessarily indicative of things to come. Oftentimes, people unconsciously read situations in an irrational way. Watch how you think and perceive situations in day-to-day life. Labeling is the tendency to put a name on a situation. For example, "This person made a mistake" or "I made a bad choice." This leads you to put people and situations into categories based on solitary instances. Try your best not to categorize and avoid the temptation to judge. Personalization is the tendency to take situations and other people's reactions personally. For example, you may assume a co-worker is mad at you if she doesn't stop to chat in the break room. In reality, she may just be busy. Try not to take situations personally. Oftentimes, you hold yourself to an unreal ideal. You might see someone else's success as evidence of your shortcoming. Try to keep in mind everyone is different and moves at a different pace.
Watch for over-generalizations. Do not make assumptions. Avoid catastrophic thinking. Pay attention to how you read situations.