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Old May 07, 2012, 01:16 PM
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Perna Perna is offline
Pandita-in-training
 
Member Since: Sep 2006
Location: Maryland
Posts: 27,289
Cognitive distortions rarely happen alone. Invent scenarios and what you think would happen if you cannot think of ones that have happened?

Say you are at work and hear three coworkers talking about going out after work for a drink. What do you think and do?

I wonder if they will invite me.
I can't invite myself because Susie is there and she does not like me.
The other two like Susie so they probably don't like me either.
No one ever invites me out.
Everyone has friends except me.
I'm a loser.

Wondering if others will invite us is a mild form of "personalization". We do not have to act on our own behalf, speak up and ask to come along because other people are supposed to ("should") notice us.

Deciding you cannot invite yourself because of Susie is "filtering" because there are three people and you only suspect one of them does not like you. It is also a "control fallacy" because you are letting someone else control your behavior and decisions; "blaming" your not taking action on your own behalf on someone else.

Deciding the other two people will side with Susie instead of you and not like you because they like her is "jumping to conclusions", "catastrophizing" and "personalizing" (among others).

And so on.
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Thanks for this!
Puffyprue