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.

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 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

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 Seven Types of Thinking Error
No Type of thinking error What you can try to do
Try to generate some alternative possible explanations for
Mind Reading what the other person is doing or saying & then evaluate the
1
likelihood of each being accurate objectively 


Obtain further information if this may help you to form a

This involves, for example, assuming that others are thinking
judgement or check with the person in question whether they
certain things about you or doing things for a particular reason
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 


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 Seven Types of Thinking Error
No Type of thinking error What you can try to do
Check that your prediction is supported by evidence
Catastrophising / Fortune Telling
 (and if it is not, then adjust it)
2
Remind yourself of other possibilities 


Acknowledge that sometimes the future is 


This involves predicting how things will happen in an overly
not completely predictable
gloomy way
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? 


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 Seven Types of Thinking Error
No Type of thinking error What you can try to do
Ask yourself if a more qualified or moderate claim might be
Over-Generalising more accurate, e.g. ‘You sometimes’ or ‘You often’
3 Do you want to come across as bossy or judgmental? – If not,
then try to avoid saying bossy or judgmental things! 

This involves saying things like: If you’re objecting to how someone else is acting, be specific in
‘You always…' or your comments. Explaining what you would like the other
‘You never…' 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‟ 


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 Seven Types of Thinking Error
No 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
Emotional Reasoning
4 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
This involves an over-reliance on your feelings to determine Try to assess what is the thought going 

your actions or decisions 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 


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 Seven Types of Thinking Error
No Type of thinking error What you can try to do
Try to avoid dogmatic moralistic words like “must‟, “should‟ and maybe try
Making Demands
5 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 

This involves using words like “Must‟, Ask yourself, will it be helpful if I impose demands or expectations (whether in
“Should‟, “Ought‟ (Again this may be about word or thought)? An alternative might be to make a request or slightly to lower
others or about yourself) your expectations of the other person (and of yourself as well if you expect to be
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
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 Seven Types of Thinking Error
No Type of thinking error What you can try to do
Consciously look for positive aspects of situations and remind
Only Noticing or Remembering Negative Aspects
 yourself of them 

6

This involves paying little attention to or ignoring positive Imagine you had to argue that there are some positives in the
aspects of your situation and focusing disproportionately on situation, what would you say? 

negative aspects

Ask yourself what a reasonable friend would say about the

situation and your conclusions? 


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 Seven Types of Thinking Error
No Type of thinking error What you can try to do
Don’t be so hard on yourself!
Excessive Self Criticism Remember that no one is perfect and it’s 

7
OK for you to be imperfect occasionally! 


This involves continually putting yourself down and focusing Set yourself a simple goal for what you will 

much more on what you see as your bad qualities, try to do differently next time and focus on 

than on your good points 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 


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