“We don’t abandon our pursuits because we despair of ever perfecting them.” —EPICTETUS, DISCOURSES, 1.2.37b Psychologists speak of cognitive distortions—exaggerated thinking patterns that have a destructive impact on the life of the patient. One of the most common is known as all-or-nothing thinking (also referred to as splitting). Examples of this include thoughts like: If you’re not with me, you’re against me. So-and-so is all good/bad. Because this wasn’t a complete success, it is a total failure. This sort of extreme thinking is associated with depression and frustration. How could it not
...more
