Black and white Thinking

Black and white, or "all or nothing", thinking as it is sometimes called is a very common thinking style for anxious people. This is because thinking in this way is easier and requires less time to "compute" in the brain. Time would be everthing if the fight or flight response has been set off if you had been confronted by a wild tiger!

However, we know that life is seldom either/or but much more both/and. Events are not often beautiful or wonderful, but contain elements of good and bad. Statements like "I'm a terrible person" or "I'm always anxious" over simplify life with a black or white mentality.