Exercise 8 Distortions of Reality Each of the statements below is an interpretation. Some are rational, others are distortions (misinterpretations) of reality. Decide which statements are rational (write R) and which are not; and for the latter, which type of distortion is involved - black-and-white thinking (write SW), filtering (F), overgeneralising (OG), mind-reading (MR), fortune-telling (FT), emotional reasoning (ER) or personalising (P). See Chapter 4 of "Choose to be Happy" Wayne Froggatt; HarperCollins, for a description of each type. Copies available from this site. [form] Name[text,name,30] Email [text,email,30] 1. If I drink and then drive, I stand a good chance of losing my licence for a long time. [list,q1] [option,0,Choose which distortion is present] [option,R Rational,R This sentence is Rational] [option,BW Black and White,BW Black and White inference] [option,F Filtering,F Filtering inference] [option,OG Over-generalising,OG Over-Generalising inference] [option,MR Mind-Reading,MR Mind-Reading inference] [option,FT Fortune-Telling,FT Fortune-Telling inference] [option,ER Emotional Reasoning,ER Emotional Reasoning inference] [option,P Personalising,P Personalising inference] [/list] 2. Things are never going to come right. [list,q2] [option,0,Choose which distortion is present] [option,R Rational,R This sentence is Rational] [option,BW Black and White,BW Black and White inference] [option,F Filtering,F Filtering inference] [option,OG Over-generalising,OG Over-Generalising inference] [option,MR Mind-Reading,MR Mind-Reading inference] [option,FT Fortune-Telling,FT Fortune-Telling inference] [option,ER Emotional Reasoning,ER Emotional Reasoning inference] [option,P Personalising,P Personalising inference] [/list] 3. I guess that if she's gone off me, I must have done something wrong. [list,q3] [option,0,Choose which distortion is present] [option,R Rational,R This sentence is Rational] [option,BW Black and White,BW Black and White inference] [option,F Filtering,F Filtering inference] [option,OG Over-generalising,OG Over-Generalising inference] [option,MR Mind-Reading,MR Mind-Reading inference] [option,FT Fortune-Telling,FT Fortune-Telling inference] [option,ER Emotional Reasoning,ER Emotional Reasoning inference] [option,P Personalising,P Personalising inference] [/list] 4. He's always messing things up. [list,q4] [option,0,Choose which distortion is present] [option,R Rational,R This sentence is Rational] [option,BW Black and White,BW Black and White inference] [option,F Filtering,F Filtering inference] [option,OG Over-generalising,OG Over-Generalising inference] [option,MR Mind-Reading,MR Mind-Reading inference] [option,FT Fortune-Telling,FT Fortune-Telling inference] [option,ER Emotional Reasoning,ER Emotional Reasoning inference] [option,P Personalising,P Personalising inference] [/list] 5. She deliberately set out to hurt me - why else would I be angry? [list,q5] [option,0,Choose which distortion is present] [option,R Rational,R This sentence is Rational] [option,BW Black and White,BW Black and White inference] [option,F Filtering,F Filtering inference] [option,OG Over-generalising,OG Over-Generalising inference] [option,MR Mind-Reading,MR Mind-Reading inference] [option,FT Fortune-Telling,FT Fortune-Telling inference] [option,ER Emotional Reasoning,ER Emotional Reasoning inference] [option,P Personalising,P Personalising inference] [/list] 6. I can't see anything good about the world today. [list,q6] [option,0,Choose which distortion is present] [option,R Rational,R This sentence is Rational] [option,BW Black and White,BW Black and White inference] [option,F Filtering,F Filtering inference] [option,OG Over-generalising,OG Over-Generalising inference] [option,MR Mind-Reading,MR Mind-Reading inference] [option,FT Fortune-Telling,FT Fortune-Telling inference] [option,ER Emotional Reasoning,ER Emotional Reasoning inference] [option,P Personalising,P Personalising inference] [/list] 7. He said that because he wanted to get back at me. [list,q7] [option,0,Choose which distortion is present] [option,R Rational,R This sentence is Rational] [option,BW Black and White,BW Black and White inference] [option,F Filtering,F Filtering inference] [option,OG Over-generalising,OG Over-Generalising inference] [option,MR Mind-Reading,MR Mind-Reading inference] [option,FT Fortune-Telling,FT Fortune-Telling inference] [option,ER Emotional Reasoning,ER Emotional Reasoning inference] [option,P Personalising,P Personalising inference] [/list] 8. It's either right or it's wrong - there's nothing in between. [list,q8] [option,0,Choose which distortion is present] [option,R Rational,R This sentence is Rational] [option,BW Black and White,BW Black and White inference] [option,F Filtering,F Filtering inference] [option,OG Over-generalising,OG Over-Generalising inference] [option,MR Mind-Reading,MR Mind-Reading inference] [option,FT Fortune-Telling,FT Fortune-Telling inference] [option,ER Emotional Reasoning,ER Emotional Reasoning inference] [option,P Personalising,P Personalising inference] [/list] 9. Life is a mixture of good and bad. [list,q9] [option,0,Choose which distortion is present] [option,R Rational,R This sentence is Rational] [option,BW Black and White,BW Black and White inference] [option,F Filtering,F Filtering inference] [option,OG Over-generalising,OG Over-Generalising inference] [option,MR Mind-Reading,MR Mind-Reading inference] [option,FT Fortune-Telling,FT Fortune-Telling inference] [option,ER Emotional Reasoning,ER Emotional Reasoning inference] [option,P Personalising,P Personalising inference] [/list] 10. I feel so anxious, I just know something bad is going to happen. [list,q10] [option,0,Choose which distortion is present] [option,R Rational,R This sentence is Rational] [option,BW Black and White,BW Black and White inference] [option,F Filtering,F Filtering inference] [option,OG Over-generalising,OG Over-Generalising inference] [option,MR Mind-Reading,MR Mind-Reading inference] [option,FT Fortune-Telling,FT Fortune-Telling inference] [option,ER Emotional Reasoning,ER Emotional Reasoning inference] [option,P Personalising,P Personalising inference] [/list] 11. She's only doing this to prove how superior she is. [list,q11] [option,0,Choose which distortion is present] [option,R Rational,R This sentence is Rational] [option,BW Black and White,BW Black and White inference] [option,F Filtering,F Filtering inference] [option,OG Over-generalising,OG Over-Generalising inference] [option,MR Mind-Reading,MR Mind-Reading inference] [option,FT Fortune-Telling,FT Fortune-Telling inference] [option,ER Emotional Reasoning,ER Emotional Reasoning inference] [option,P Personalising,P Personalising inference] [/list] 12. I only passed that exam because of luck. [list,q12] [option,0,Choose which distortion is present] [option,R Rational,R This sentence is Rational] [option,BW Black and White,BW Black and White inference] [option,F Filtering,F Filtering inference] [option,OG Over-generalising,OG Over-Generalising inference] [option,MR Mind-Reading,MR Mind-Reading inference] [option,FT Fortune-Telling,FT Fortune-Telling inference] [option,ER Emotional Reasoning,ER Emotional Reasoning inference] [option,P Personalising,P Personalising inference] [/list] 13. There's only one reason some people are poor - they're lazy. [list,q13] [option,0,Choose which distortion is present] [option,R Rational,R This sentence is Rational] [option,BW Black and White,BW Black and White inference] [option,F Filtering,F Filtering inference] [option,OG Over-generalising,OG Over-Generalising inference] [option,MR Mind-Reading,MR Mind-Reading inference] [option,FT Fortune-Telling,FT Fortune-Telling inference] [option,ER Emotional Reasoning,ER Emotional Reasoning inference] [option,P Personalising,P Personalising inference] [/list] 14. If I can't handle this job, I'll never be any good at anything. [list,q14] [option,0,Choose which distortion is present] [option,R Rational,R This sentence is Rational] [option,BW Black and White,BW Black and White inference] [option,F Filtering,F Filtering inference] [option,OG Over-generalising,OG Over-Generalising inference] [option,MR Mind-Reading,MR Mind-Reading inference] [option,FT Fortune-Telling,FT Fortune-Telling inference] [option,ER Emotional Reasoning,ER Emotional Reasoning inference] [option,P Personalising,P Personalising inference] [/list] 15. He's going to end up a permanent dead loss. [list,q15] [option,0,Choose which distortion is present] [option,R Rational,R This sentence is Rational] [option,BW Black and White,BW Black and White inference] [option,F Filtering,F Filtering inference] [option,OG Over-generalising,OG Over-Generalising inference] [option,MR Mind-Reading,MR Mind-Reading inference] [option,FT Fortune-Telling,FT Fortune-Telling inference] [option,ER Emotional Reasoning,ER Emotional Reasoning inference] [option,P Personalising,P Personalising inference] [/list] 16. If I don't act on this reminder they may sue me - then I'll end up with court costs as well. [list,q16] [option,0,Choose which distortion is present] [option,R Rational,R This sentence is Rational] [option,BW Black and White,BW Black and White inference] [option,F Filtering,F Filtering inference] [option,OG Over-generalising,OG Over-Generalising inference] [option,MR Mind-Reading,MR Mind-Reading inference] [option,FT Fortune-Telling,FT Fortune-Telling inference] [option,ER Emotional Reasoning,ER Emotional Reasoning inference] [option,P Personalising,P Personalising inference] [/list] 17. There's very little in life you can be absolutely certain about. [list,q17] [option,0,Choose which distortion is present] [option,R Rational,R This sentence is Rational] [option,BW Black and White,BW Black and White inference] [option,F Filtering,F Filtering inference] [option,OG Over-generalising,OG Over-Generalising inference] [option,MR Mind-Reading,MR Mind-Reading inference] [option,FT Fortune-Telling,FT Fortune-Telling inference] [option,ER Emotional Reasoning,ER Emotional Reasoning inference] [option,P Personalising,P Personalising inference] [/list] 18. I wouldn't be depressed if my situation wasn't hopeless. [list,q18] [option,0,Choose which distortion is present] [option,R Rational,R This sentence is Rational] [option,BW Black and White,BW Black and White inference] [option,F Filtering,F Filtering inference] [option,OG Over-generalising,OG Over-Generalising inference] [option,MR Mind-Reading,MR Mind-Reading inference] [option,FT Fortune-Telling,FT Fortune-Telling inference] [option,ER Emotional Reasoning,ER Emotional Reasoning inference] [option,P Personalising,P Personalising inference] [/list] 19. You hate me, don't you? [list,q19] [option,0,Choose which distortion is present] [option,R Rational,R This sentence is Rational] [option,BW Black and White,BW Black and White inference] [option,F Filtering,F Filtering inference] [option,OG Over-generalising,OG Over-Generalising inference] [option,MR Mind-Reading,MR Mind-Reading inference] [option,FT Fortune-Telling,FT Fortune-Telling inference] [option,ER Emotional Reasoning,ER Emotional Reasoning inference] [option,P Personalising,P Personalising inference] [/list] 20. If I stay home today, the boss will forget about that mistake I made at work yesterday. [list,q20] [option,0,Choose which distortion is present] [option,R Rational,R This sentence is Rational] [option,BW Black and White,BW Black and White inference] [option,F Filtering,F Filtering inference] [option,OG Over-generalising,OG Over-Generalising inference] [option,MR Mind-Reading,MR Mind-Reading inference] [option,FT Fortune-Telling,FT Fortune-Telling inference] [option,ER Emotional Reasoning,ER Emotional Reasoning inference] [option,P Personalising,P Personalising inference] [/list] 21. Nothing's going right for me these days. [list,q21] [option,0,Choose which distortion is present] [option,R Rational,R This sentence is Rational] [option,BW Black and White,BW Black and White inference] [option,F Filtering,F Filtering inference] [option,OG Over-generalising,OG Over-Generalising inference] [option,MR Mind-Reading,MR Mind-Reading inference] [option,FT Fortune-Telling,FT Fortune-Telling inference] [option,ER Emotional Reasoning,ER Emotional Reasoning inference] [option,P Personalising,P Personalising inference] [/list] 22. You can't care for someone and still be angry with them. [list,q22] [option,0,Choose which distortion is present] [option,R Rational,R This sentence is Rational] [option,BW Black and White,BW Black and White inference] [option,F Filtering,F Filtering inference] [option,OG Over-generalising,OG Over-Generalising inference] [option,MR Mind-Reading,MR Mind-Reading inference] [option,FT Fortune-Telling,FT Fortune-Telling inference] [option,ER Emotional Reasoning,ER Emotional Reasoning inference] [option,P Personalising,P Personalising inference] [/list] 23. I'll never get on top of these bad feelings. [list,q23] [option,0,Choose which distortion is present] [option,R Rational,R This sentence is Rational] [option,BW Black and White,BW Black and White inference] [option,F Filtering,F Filtering inference] [option,OG Over-generalising,OG Over-Generalising inference] [option,MR Mind-Reading,MR Mind-Reading inference] [option,FT Fortune-Telling,FT Fortune-Telling inference] [option,ER Emotional Reasoning,ER Emotional Reasoning inference] [option,P Personalising,P Personalising inference] [/list] 24. She must have had to take the day off sick because I criticised her [list,q24] [option,0,Choose which distortion is present] [option,R Rational,R This sentence is Rational] [option,BW Black and White,BW Black and White inference] [option,F Filtering,F Filtering inference] [option,OG Over-generalising,OG Over-Generalising inference] [option,MR Mind-Reading,MR Mind-Reading inference] [option,FT Fortune-Telling,FT Fortune-Telling inference] [option,ER Emotional Reasoning,ER Emotional Reasoning inference] [option,P Personalising,P Personalising inference] [/list] Any Questions or Comments? [textarea,questions,15,50,Write in here...] [submit,SEND this Entry][reset,Start Over again] [/form]