Adapted from Dr Arthur Freeman's book: "Woulda/Coulda/Shoulda"

1. Common Mistakes of the MindCommon Mistakes of the Mind
By Dr. Arthur FreemanBy Dr. Arthur Freeman
in:in: Woulda/Coulda/ShouldaWoulda/Coulda/Shoulda

2. 1. All-or-Nothing Thinking1. All-or-Nothing Thinking
• If you don’t have it all, you have nothing.
• If you don’t win, you have lost everything.

3. 2. Perfectionism2. Perfectionism
• The belief that if you do not perform per-
fectly, you will be embarrassed, disgraced
and doomed.
• Not being able to do something perfectly
can end up meaning not doing it at all.

4. 3. Overgeneralization3. Overgeneralization
• Taking a single event and generalizing it
to all events.
• If it happened once, it will always happen.

5. 4. Global Labeling4. Global Labeling
• A variation on overgeneralization.
• It is saying, “I can’t do anything right.
Nothing ever works out for me.”

6. 5. Catastrophizing5. Catastrophizing
• Making a mountain out of a molehill.
You magnify the potential results of
any misstep.
• Hopeless capitulation when a true
catastrophe strikes.

7. 6. Minimizing6. Minimizing
• Not giving yourself credit for paying proper
attention to a decision when that decision
turns out to be wrong.
• It also occurs when you don’t pay proper
attention to important events.

8. 7. Comparative Thinking7. Comparative Thinking
• In making comparisons to others, you find
that you never, ever measure up.
• Others are all happier, worthier, more
famous, more successful.

9. 8. Uncritical Acceptance of the Critics8. Uncritical Acceptance of the Critics
• We define our own self-worth by what
others think of us.
• Listening to others does not mean
accepting all criticism as equally valid.

10. 9. Selective Editing9. Selective Editing
• We see only pieces of the whole … only
those pieces of information that lead us to
a preconceived conclusion.
• You accept as valid only data which brings
about that negative conclusion.

11. 10. Disqualifying the Positive10. Disqualifying the Positive
• Drawing conclusions only from that part of
the evidence that is negative.
• It seems to be part of human nature to
forget all the good things once a single
bad thing comes along.

12. 11. Mind Reading11. Mind Reading
• Another name for jumping to conclusions.

13. 12. Personalization12. Personalization
• Taking as a personal affront an event that
has nothing to do with you.

14. 13. Fortune-Telling13. Fortune-Telling
• You should always know what is coming
before it gets here.
• Your internal crystal ball should have
notified you in advance so that you would
not make any stupid mistakes.

15. 14. The14. The ShouldShould SyndromeSyndrome
• The belief that there is only one right way
to do anything.
• And if you don’t do it that way, you are a
loser.

16. 15. Emotional Reasoning15. Emotional Reasoning
• You begin to feel
– Inadequate and
– Like a failure
• And from this, you conclude that
you are both.