Understanding Thinking Bugs

Thinking bugs, also known as cognitive distortions, are systematic patterns of thinking that distort reality and lead to irrational thoughts, negative emotions, and poor decision-making. These mental shortcuts and biases affect everyone, influencing how we perceive situations, interpret events, and interact with the world around us.

By identifying and understanding these thinking bugs, we can recognize when our thoughts are being distorted and learn to challenge them. The Reframing App provides a structured, evidence-based approach to identifying these patterns in your daily life and transforming distorted thoughts into more balanced, rational, and helpful perspectives.

Below you will find different categories of thinking bugs, ranging from classical CBT thinking errors to broader cognitive distortions, logical fallacies, and behavioral biases. Click on each category to explore the specific thinking errors within.

CBT Thinking Errors - Classical cognitive distortions identified in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, the most proven approach for challenging distorted thoughts.

REBT Irrational Beliefs - Albert Ellis-style irrational beliefs in REBT: demandingness, awfulizing, low frustration tolerance, and downing, plus applied patterns like perfectionism.

Cognitive Distortions - Patterns of biased thinking that distort reality and often lead to negative emotions.

Logical Fallacies - Errors in reasoning that weaken arguments and often mislead us in discussions or debates.

Judgment Errors - Biases that affect decision-making processes, leading to incorrect or suboptimal decisions.

Social Thinking Traps - Cognitive biases influenced by social dynamics and group behavior, leading to poor decisions or misconceptions.

Emotional Pitfalls - Thinking errors driven by strong emotions, often leading to irrational decisions or perceptions.

Perceptual Biases - Errors in how we perceive and interpret reality, often leading to misunderstandings or illusions.

Behavioral Traps - Biases that influence actions, leading to unproductive or harmful behaviors.

Reasoning Bugs - Subtle errors in logic and critical thinking that undermine sound reasoning.

Digital Distortions - Tech-mediated thinking traps amplified by algorithmic feeds, virality metrics, and AI-generated content.

CBT Thinking Errors

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a scientific, well-tested, most proven, and most effective logical approach for challenging our distorted thoughts and transforming them from intrusive and unhelpful into rational and beneficial.

The irrational and often negative thoughts are common to different people. These thoughts are classified into different types, named together as cognitive distortions, also known as thinking errors or thinking bugs. By deconstructing and changing our irrational thoughts, we can greatly improve our life quality, performance, general well-being and solve many psychological issues, such as anxiety, panic attacks, depression, OCD, PTSD, ADHD, and similar.

The list of classical cognitive distortions is presented below. These thinking bugs can be spotted in our thought patterns and fixed using the Reframing App.

You look at things in absolute, black-and-white categories.

You blow things way out of proportion or shrink them.

You dwell on the negatives and ignore the positives.

You insist your positive qualities don't count.

Instead of saying, "I made a mistake," you tell yourself, "I'm a jerk" or "I'm a loser."

You consider negative or irrelevant events as having something to do with you.

You jump to conclusions not warranted by the facts.

You assume that people are reacting negatively to you.

You view a single negative event as a never-ending pattern of defeat.

You use "shoulds," "shouldn'ts," "musts," "oughts," and "have tos."

You blame yourself for something you weren't entirely responsible for.

You blame others and overlook ways you contributed to the problem.

You reason from your feelings: "I feel like an idiot, so I must be one."

REBT Irrational Beliefs

Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT), developed by Albert Ellis, focuses on the deeper irrational beliefs that drive emotional suffering: demandingness, awfulizing, low frustration tolerance, and global rating of yourself, other people, or life.

These are related to CBT thinking errors, but they are not identical. CBT often names the surface distortion, while REBT highlights the rigid belief underneath it, such as "I must be approved of," "People must treat me fairly," or "This is unbearable."

The list below follows that REBT structure more closely: key demandingness beliefs, awfulizing, low frustration tolerance, and downing, plus one important applied pattern - perfectionism.

You believe you must be liked, accepted, or validated by important people.

You tie your worth to achievement, competence, and not making mistakes.

You believe other people must act fairly, respectfully, and properly toward you.

You insist life should be fair, easy, and go the way it is supposed to go.

You turn bad events into total catastrophes: terrible, horrible, unbearable.

You tell yourself discomfort, delay, effort, or uncertainty are unbearable.

You rate your whole self as bad or worthless because of one flaw, failure, or behavior.

You condemn a whole person as bad because of what they did.

You treat mistakes as unacceptable and act as if your worth depends on getting things right.

Cognitive Distortions

Cognitive distortions are biased patterns of thinking that distort reality and often lead to negative emotions. These habitual thought patterns can cause us to perceive situations more negatively than they actually are, reinforcing unhelpful beliefs and contributing to emotional distress. By identifying and challenging these distortions, we can develop more balanced, accurate, and constructive ways of thinking, leading to better decision-making and improved mental well-being.

You judge the probability of events by how easily examples come to mind.

You favor information that confirms your preexisting beliefs.

You continue a behavior or endeavor because of previously invested resources.

You see past events as having been more predictable than they actually were.

You falsely perceive a relationship between two unrelated events.

You judge arguments based on your existing beliefs rather than the strength of the argument.

You feel discomfort from holding conflicting beliefs or behaviors.

You defend and justify the status quo, even at your own expense.

You remember events differently from how they actually occurred.

You take on more risk when decisions are framed in a certain way.

You prefer smaller, immediate rewards over larger, delayed ones.

You tend to think and solve problems in simple and less effortful ways.

You over-rely on a familiar tool or method, even when it may not be suitable.

You have excessive confidence in your own answers or judgments.

You overestimate the likelihood of negative outcomes.

You overestimate the likelihood of positive outcomes.

You assume others have the same knowledge as you.

You overestimate your competence in areas where you lack knowledge.

You fail to recognize your own cognitive biases.

You overestimate your ability to control events.

You create obstacles to your own success as an excuse for potential failure.

You believe that people get what they deserve in life.

You value things more simply because you own them.

You exaggerate the importance of your own role or contributions.

You interpret others' ambiguous behavior as having hostile intent.

You attribute your own actions to external factors, while blaming others for their actions.

You devalue proposals or solutions simply because they come from an opposing party.

You overestimate how much others agree with your beliefs or behaviors.

You ignore general statistical information in favor of specific, anecdotal information.

You are less likely to spend larger bills than their equivalent in smaller denominations.

You place too much emphasis on one aspect of an event or situation, ignoring others.

You have an inflated view of your own abilities or character.

You make decisions based on your emotions rather than objective information.

Logical Fallacies

Logical fallacies are errors in reasoning that undermine the logic of an argument. They often arise from a misunderstanding or misuse of logic, leading to conclusions that are not logically sound. Recognizing these fallacies can help in evaluating arguments critically and avoiding faulty reasoning in your own thinking.

You assume that because one event follows another, the first event must have caused the second.

You misrepresent someone's argument to make it easier to attack.

You argue that a small first step will inevitably lead to a chain of related events resulting in a significant impact.

You present two options as the only possible choices when others exist.

You assume the truth of the conclusion within the argument itself.

You manipulate emotions instead of using valid reasoning to win an argument.

You react differently to the same information depending on how it is presented.

You let one positive trait influence your overall judgment of a person or thing.

You place undue trust in the opinions of an authority figure, regardless of the validity of the argument.

Judgment Errors

Judgment errors are cognitive biases that skew decision-making processes, often leading to incorrect or suboptimal outcomes. These biases influence how we interpret information, make predictions, and assess risks, frequently resulting in flawed judgments that can have significant impacts on our decisions and behaviors. Understanding these errors can help in making more rational and informed decisions, avoiding common pitfalls that many fall into.

You believe that past random events influence the likelihood of future ones.

You ignore general statistical information in favor of specific information.

You judge the quality of a decision based on its outcome rather than the process.

Your memories become less accurate due to post-event information.

You are more likely to remember the first and last items in a series.

You are more likely to remember the first items presented in a list.

You are more likely to remember the most recent items presented in a list.

You believe that a person who has experienced success is more likely to continue having success.

You underestimate the time, costs, and risks of future actions while overestimating the benefits.

You overvalue an innovation's benefits while underestimating its limitations or risks.

You overestimate your own abilities or knowledge.

You prefer to eliminate a small risk entirely rather than reducing a larger risk.

You disregard probability when making a decision, focusing on the outcome instead.

You rationalize your decisions based on what you want to believe.

You focus on successful cases while ignoring failures, leading to overestimation of success.

Social Thinking Traps

Social thinking traps are cognitive biases deeply influenced by social dynamics and group behavior. These biases can lead to poor decisions, reinforce stereotypes, and contribute to the perpetuation of misconceptions. When individuals are part of a group, they might prioritize harmony and conformity over critical thinking, leading to decisions that can be flawed or even harmful. By understanding these social thinking traps, we can better navigate group interactions and make more informed, independent decisions.

You prioritize group consensus over critical analysis, often leading to poor decisions.

You adopt beliefs or actions because others are doing the same.

You favor members of your own group over those in outgroups.

You perceive members of an outgroup as more similar to each other than they really are.

You generalize characteristics, motives, or behaviors to an entire group.

You feel at risk of conforming to stereotypes about your social group.

You are more likely to engage in morally questionable behavior after establishing your moral credentials.

Emotional Pitfalls

Emotional pitfalls are cognitive distortions that arise when our emotions overpower our rational thinking, leading to decisions that are not based on logic or reality. These thinking errors are often driven by intense emotions such as anger, fear, or pride, which can cloud our judgment and make us perceive situations inaccurately. By recognizing these emotional pitfalls, we can learn to manage our emotions more effectively and make better, more rational decisions.

You attribute your successes to internal factors and your failures to external factors.

Strong emotions affect your judgment, leading to skewed perceptions or decisions.

Your inflated sense of self-importance distorts your judgment and decision-making.

You believe something is true because you want it to be true.

Perceptual Biases

Perceptual biases are systematic errors in how we perceive and interpret the world around us. These biases often result in distortions of reality, leading to misunderstandings, faulty judgments, or illusions. Our brain's tendency to filter and prioritize certain types of information over others can cause us to draw incorrect conclusions or see things that are not truly there. By identifying and understanding these biases, we can work towards a more accurate and balanced perception of the world, improving our decision-making and interactions with others.

You overemphasize personal characteristics and ignore situational factors in judging others' behavior.

Your perception of something is influenced by comparisons to other things.

You misattribute the source of a memory, confusing whether it was something you experienced, imagined, or heard from someone else.

You react against rules or restrictions, doing the opposite of what is intended.

You judge the probability of something based on how closely it matches a stereotype or prototype.

You develop a preference for something simply because you have been exposed to it repeatedly.

Behavioral Traps

Behavioral traps are cognitive biases that influence our actions, often leading to unproductive or even harmful behaviors. These biases can cause us to fall into repetitive patterns, overlook important details, or rush to conclusions without fully considering the consequences. Understanding these traps can help us break free from unproductive habits and make more thoughtful, deliberate decisions that align with our goals and values.

Your judgment is influenced by the order in which information is presented.

You persist with a failing strategy because it aligns with a linear approach, despite evidence it's not working.

You stop searching for solutions once you find an option that meets the minimum criteria, rather than the best one.

You become fixated on an initial diagnosis, making it difficult to consider alternative explanations.

You rely too heavily on the first piece of information encountered.

You revert to considering more common diagnoses rather than rare ones, even when the rare diagnosis might be more accurate.

Reasoning Bugs

Reasoning bugs are subtle errors in logic and critical thinking that can significantly undermine sound reasoning and decision-making. These cognitive missteps often occur without us realizing, leading to flawed conclusions or reinforcing biases. By identifying and addressing these reasoning bugs, we can improve our ability to think clearly, make more rational decisions, and avoid common pitfalls in our logic.

You tend to test hypotheses in a way that confirms your initial expectations.

You recognize the impact of biases on others but fail to see how they influence your own thinking.

You switch between fast, intuitive thinking and slow, deliberate reasoning.

You reject new information or evidence simply because it contradicts established norms or beliefs.

Digital Distortions

Digital distortions are tech-mediated traps that have become much easier to fall into since the 2000s (and especially after 2020): algorithmic feeds, virality metrics, and AI-generated content can amplify classic biases and make them feel like “new” distortions. Each item below links to a detailed page on this site.

You treat feeds, rankings, or models as validators of truth.

You confuse popularity (likes, shares, views) with accuracy or importance.

You mistake emotional intensity (often engineered by the feed) for evidence.

Because you see endless bad news, you conclude the world is mostly getting worse.

You infer intent and character from a post stripped of audience, tone, and context.

You treat cropped screenshots/clips as sufficient evidence and skip provenance checks.

What’s measurable (followers, streaks, engagement) becomes what matters most.

You feel you “know” a public figure well enough to infer motives from curated fragments.

You treat fluent AI output as vetted expertise and confuse clarity with correctness.

You over-trust automated summaries/recommendations and skip verification.

An AI-generated claim heard first becomes an anchor, even after corrections.

“Anything could be fake” becomes an excuse to dismiss real evidence.