Error in Judgment: All-or-Nothing Thinking

Error in Judgment: All-or-Nothing Thinking

The thinking that if you do badly on something, you won’t be able to continue on it any further is All-or-Nothing Thinking. Other terms are “Black or White” thinking or Perfectionism. This way of thinking is a Cognitive Distortion and Psychological Disorder. Words associated with this that needs to be avoided are Perfect, Never, Ruined, Unworthy, Impossible, and a few more. A few examples are “If I can’t do it perfectly then I might as well not do it at all” or “To be perfect means to be complete”.

This way of thinking is crucial to a person. It shapes the way they live and feel. It increases feelings of comfort but once that high is gone, they spiral back down into feeling powerless and that creates low self-esteem. A person with All-or-Nothing Thinking only focuses on the negative. This type of thinking can lead to alcoholism and drug abuse as a means to escape the life they feel they can’t control. It can lead to cases of depression and panic attacks.

An example is when I was joining the military. My family was so proud when I left and went to boot camp. I found that I have a cave in my chest bone, which caused me to be medically discharged from the world’s greatest Navy. While I was in separations, all I could think of was how I failed my family. But now that I’ve been out for a while, I now realize that it wasn’t my fault. I didn’t make myself create this bone deformity. I did the best I could do. If it was meant to be then it would’ve happened.

This type of thinking starts in the beginning when we are growing up. Our parents drill in us that if we don’t do anything right the first time, there will be consequences. Once we hit the age where we can decide for ourselves is really when it starts sinking in. That’s how we have those who want everything to be perfect.

The way to overcome this is by going to therapy. There are all kinds to choose from. Talk Therapy which is cost efficient, Cognitive therapy,...