Cognitive Distortions

A practice card

Not one specific error. A cognitive distortion is any of several common patterns a mind falls into under stress, each one skewing a thought away from what the evidence actually supports.

When

When a thought feels completely certain, but hasn't actually been checked against what's really there.

What's actually happening

A distortion is less a lie than a shortcut — mind-reading what someone else thinks, assuming the worst outcome, or filtering out anything that doesn't match the mood already present. These patterns are common and well documented, and naming which one is active is usually more useful than arguing with the thought directly, since it turns a felt certainty back into a claim that can be checked.

What to change

Notice when a thought feels like flat fact, with no room for another explanation.

Ask which familiar shortcut this looks like — mind-reading, worst-case, or filtering out the good.

Ask what would actually have to be true for this thought to be accurate, and check it.

Look for one recent moment that doesn't fit the thought, even a small one.

Write down which pattern tends to repeat for you, over several separate occasions.

Where to start

roughly placed · catching the certainty comes first

Pick one

Five at once is how these lists fail. Tap a number — the ones up and to the left give the most for the least.

What to expect

This habit runs automatically, so it takes repeated catching before it loosens at all. Pick one way of checking it, naming the pattern or asking for evidence, and use it for two weeks before judging whether thoughts feel less certain by default.

choose one, and the fortnight starts

This is a teaching, not treatment. If you’re struggling, a doctor or therapist can help. If you’re in danger right now, call your local emergency number or a crisis line (in the US, call or text 988).

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