Thinking Errors List: 15 Common Thinking Errors, With Examples

Thinking errors usually do one of four jobs:

1. Push responsibility away — it's someone else's fault.
2. Shrink the problem — it doesn't matter.
3. Bend the picture — the facts get twisted.
4. Bend the rules — the rules are for other people.

They feel good, which is why they stick. They bring relief, get you off the hook, or make you feel right. The cost comes later.

1. Blaming

What it is: Putting all of the cause on someone else.

Sounds like: "He made me do it." "If she hadn't started it, I wouldn't have yelled."

Check it: What part of this was mine?

2. Excuse-making

What it is: Using a reason to get off the hook.

Sounds like: "I was tired." "Traffic was bad." "I'd had a few drinks."

Check it: Is this an explanation, or an excuse? An explanation says why it happened and what you'll do differently. An excuse stops at why.

3. Victim stance

What it is: Seeing yourself as the one who is always wronged.

Sounds like: "Nothing ever goes my way." "Everyone is out to get me."

Check it: Is it really everyone, always? What did I do that played a part?

4. "I can't"

What it is: Calling something impossible when it's really hard, scary or unwanted.

Sounds like: "I can't stop." "I can't say no to my friends."

Check it: Do I mean "I won't," "I'm scared to," or "I don't know how yet"?

5. Minimizing

What it is: Making a problem look smaller than it is.

Sounds like: "It's not a big deal." "It was only a little." "Nobody got hurt."

Check it: How would this look to the person it affected?

6. "Everyone does it"

What it is: Using other people as your rule.

Sounds like: "Everybody speeds here." "Everybody takes stuff home from work."

Check it: If everyone does it, does that make it okay for me? Will "everyone" face the consequences with me?

7. "Just this once"

What it is: Telling yourself this time doesn't count.

Sounds like: "Just tonight." "I'll be good after this."

Check it: How many times have I said "just this once" before?

8. "No one will know"

What it is: Making a choice feel okay because you might not get caught.

Sounds like: "There's no camera." "They'll never find out."

Check it: Would I still do this if everyone could see? I would know.

9. All-or-nothing thinking

What it is: Seeing only two choices, perfect or ruined.

Sounds like: "I already blew it, so who cares?" "He's either with me or against me."

Check it: What's in between? One slip is one slip.

10. Mind reading

What it is: Being sure you know what someone thinks, without asking.

Sounds like: "She thinks I'm a loser." "He's trying to make me look bad."

Check it: What's the evidence? Could I just ask?

11. Entitlement

What it is: Feeling owed, so taking what isn't yours feels fair.

Sounds like: "I deserve it." "They owe me." "After everything I've done for this company…"

Check it: Is this a real need, or a want dressed up as one? A need asks. Entitlement takes.

12. Power and control

What it is: Needing to win, be in charge or have the last word.

Sounds like: "Nobody tells me what to do." "I have to win this."

Check it: If I win this fight, what do I lose?

13. Superoptimism

What it is: Being sure things will work out, so the risk doesn't count.

Sounds like: "I won't get caught." "I drive fine after a few."

Check it: What would I tell a friend who said this?

14. Closed thinking

What it is: Shutting out feedback and other points of view.

Sounds like: "Don't tell me what to do." "You don't know my life."

Check it: What if they're even 10% right?

15. "Only now matters"

What it is: Thinking about this minute and not about later.

Sounds like: "I'll deal with it tomorrow." "I just need this right now."

Check it: How will I feel about this in 10 minutes, 10 months and 10 years?

Thinking errors often team up. "It's only 20 dollars" (minimizing) plus "they'll never notice" (no one will know) plus "they overcharge anyway" (entitlement) can add up to a choice that felt easy and cost a lot. If that example sounds familiar, read why people shoplift.

Step 1. Catch it

1. Listen for signal words: only, just, always, never, everyone, no one, can't, made me.
2. Notice the permission feeling: a small rush of "it's fine," or a hot "they deserve it."
3. Name it in your head: "That's minimizing."
4. Pause. One slow breath. Let the thought sit without obeying it.

Step 2. Check it

Ask one or two questions:

• What are the facts, the way a camera would see them?
• What would someone who disagrees with me say?
• What's the cost of acting on this thought, for me and for others?
• Would I be okay if my family, my boss or a judge heard this thought out loud?

Step 3. Change it

Write a thought that is more accurate, not just more positive. It should be something you actually believe.

• "It's only 20 dollars" → "It's 20 dollars that isn't mine, and a record that would follow me for years."
• "He made me do it" → "He pushed my buttons. I chose what I did next."
• "I already blew it" → "I slipped. I can still make the next choice a good one."

Catching it late still counts. If you catch a thinking error after you've acted, you've still learned where to look next time.

You may see two names. "Cognitive distortions" usually refers to thought patterns linked to low mood and anxiety, like all-or-nothing thinking and mind reading. "Thinking errors" is often used more broadly, including the errors that lead to rule-breaking and hurting others, like blaming, minimizing and entitlement. The lists overlap. This page uses plain names for both.

The same patterns show up in anger. "He did that on purpose" is mind reading, and it's the top trap behind road rage. See how to calm down from road rage and anger management techniques. When thinking errors lead to fast decisions, try impulse control techniques.