Cognitive Distortions
The Basic Idea
Have you ever read a nasty comment online? Someone might leave a rude comment on your Instagram, or a customer could leave a negative review on your company’s page. In these instances, you’re likely to feel pretty down, even if there are ten positive comments that should outweigh the one negative one. Rationally, one bad comment for every ten should not cause you to feel sad and depressed. But usually, that’s the effect it will have.
In instances like these, our brain perceives reality inaccurately, known as a cognitive distortion.
Cognitive distortions are inaccurate thinking patterns, which sometimes cause us to engage too frequently and heavily with our negative thoughts. In some people, they can lead to mental health issues like depression and anxiety.
Being aware of cognitive distortions is not enough to stop the pattern. These distortions form habitual ways of thinking that are difficult to break. At times, people need to undergo cognitive behavioral therapy to break the patterns and try to see the world more objectively and positively.1
When we feel bad, we often automatically decide that either we are bad or another person is bad. Both of these moves cause damage and distort the truth, which is that we are all navigating difficult conditions the best we can, and we all have a lot to learn and unlearn.
- American lawyer, writer, and trans activist Dean Spade in his book Mutual Aid: Building Solidarity During This Crisis (and the Next) 2
About the Author
Emilie Rose Jones
Emilie currently works in Marketing & Communications for a non-profit organization based in Toronto, Ontario. She completed her Masters of English Literature at UBC in 2021, where she focused on Indigenous and Canadian Literature. Emilie has a passion for writing and behavioural psychology and is always looking for opportunities to make knowledge more accessible.
