
Note: You can read the original article HERE
EXCERPTS FROM THE ARTICLE
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It’s a rigid way of perceiving things. It means someone always has to be “good” and another has to be “bad.”
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Learning to Cope with Black-and-White Thinking
Sometimes when I get into this mode of perception, I’ll write down my distorted thought and rewrite a different way of perceiving the situation. Here are some examples of reimagining these beliefs in a new way.
“I hate you, I love you” can be instead: “I love you and sometimes you really frustrate me. I dislike your behavior right now, it’s hurtful to me. I can be frustrated and dislike what you’re doing but still love you.” There’s room for all of this.
“You are perfect I must be evil” becomes: “No one is perfect. No one is evil. I’m doing my best and so are you. We’re having a disagreement right now and that’s okay. No one is ‘bad’ here. We’re just not seeing eye to eye right now and that’s part of life.”
The Angel vs Devil Complex: This is really just a twist on all things, situations, and people as either all good (perfect) or all bad (evil). My therapist always reminds me: “No one is all good or all bad. There’s no such thing. You have good parts and bad parts; you’re a human being.”
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