Definition
Cognitive distortions
Cognitive distortions are recurring ways of interpreting information that can become overly rigid, selective, absolute, or unsupported by the available evidence. Examples include all-or-nothing thinking, overgeneralizing, mind reading, catastrophizing, labeling, emotional reasoning, and inflexible “should” statements.
In a parenting context
What it can look like.
Under stress, a dad might turn one difficult bedtime into “Bedtime always fails,” assume “My partner thinks I’m useless,” or convert a mistake into “I’m a bad father.” Checking the pattern creates room for a more specific description and a useful next action.
Fatherhood example
“I yelled tonight, so I ruin everything” combines all-or-nothing thinking and overgeneralizing. A more accurate thought is, “I yelled tonight. I need to repair, understand the trigger, and change the next response.”
Important distinction
What it does not mean.
Calling something a thinking pattern does not prove the concern is imaginary. Negative facts, danger, injustice, conflict, and responsibility can all be real. The aim is accuracy, not automatic optimism.