10 Thinking Errors of Perfectionists

What is a thinking error?

A thinking error, also known as a cognitive distortion or cognitive bias, refers to a pattern of inaccurate or irrational thinking that can lead to negative emotions, behaviors, and outcomes. These errors often involve distorted perceptions of reality, where individuals interpret situations or information in a way that does not align with objective facts or evidence.

Thinking errors can affect various aspects of life, including relationships, decision-making, self-esteem, and mental health. They are common across different psychological frameworks and are considered to be a fundamental aspect of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and other therapeutic approaches aimed at improving mental well-being.

Perfectionists often fall prey to certain common thinking errors or cognitive distortions that can negatively impact their mental well-being and productivity. 

What thinking errors are related to perfectionism? 

All-or-Nothing Thinking (Black and White Thinking)

Perfectionists tend to see things in extremes—something is either perfect or a total failure with no middle ground. For example, getting 95% on a test might be seen as a failure because it wasn’t 100%.

Overgeneralization

Perfectionists often generalize a single negative event as a never-ending pattern of defeat. For instance, making a mistake once might lead to thinking, "I always mess things up."

Mental Filter

Perfectionists may focus exclusively on the negatives and ignore any positives or accomplishments. For instance, receiving positive feedback on a project but dwelling only on the one critical comment.

Discounting the Positive

Perfectionists often downplay or dismiss their achievements, believing that their successes don’t count or aren’t significant enough.

Jumping to Conclusions

This can manifest as mind-reading (assuming you know what others are thinking) or fortune-telling (predicting the worst possible outcome without evidence).

Magnification (Catastrophizing) and Minimization

Perfectionists tend to magnify the importance of mistakes or shortcomings (catastrophizing) while minimizing their own strengths and achievements.

Emotional Reasoning

Perfectionists often assume that their emotions accurately reflect reality. For example, feeling like a failure means they are a failure.

Should Statements

Perfectionists impose rigid and unrealistic expectations on themselves and others, using words like "should," "must," or "ought to."

Personalization

Perfectionists may blame themselves for external events or assume excessive responsibility for things that go wrong, even when they are not entirely responsible.

Control Fallacies

Perfectionists believe they should be able to control everything in their lives, and feel helpless or inadequate when they can’t.

Recognizing these thinking errors is an important step in overcoming perfectionism. Developing more balanced and realistic ways of thinking can help reduce stress and increase overall well-being.

To learn more about perfectionism therapy, contact me today!