The brain quickly completes a picture from partial data. A neutral pause can look like indifference; one mistake can become proof that “this always happens”.
Common traps
Mind reading assigns motives without checking, catastrophising jumps to the worst ending, and overgeneralising turns one event into a rule.
- mind reading
- catastrophising
- overgeneralising
Fact, interpretation, reaction
Fact: a message has had no answer for three hours. Interpretation: “I do not matter.” Reaction: anger. A question between these stages can bring new data.
The goal is not cold logic
Testing thoughts does not cancel feelings. It stops a feeling from becoming the only evidence in the conversation.
This article is for information and does not replace an individual consultation with a psychologist.
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