A Library of
Thinking Bugs

Cognitive distortions, thinking errors & mental traps — catalogued
as observable objects. Study them from the outside, before they get inside.

Explore 119 thinking bugs across 11 families

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All or Nothing Thinking

Black-and-white categories with no gray: perfect or failure, right or wrong. Why this CBT distortion hurts, examples,…

cbt self-image work effort-saving loss & failure

Magnification or Minimization

Blowing negatives out of proportion (catastrophizing) or shrinking positives. CBT examples of both, and how to get a …

cbt self-image emotion-driven attention loss & failure

Focusing on one negative and ignoring the rest - selective attention that skews reality. Examples, impact, and how to…

cbt self-image attention loss & failure widen the frame

Discounting Positives

When you reject your wins or insist they don't count. How this CBT error damages self-esteem, how it differs from men…

cbt self-image attention loss & failure seek disconfirmation

Calling yourself or others 'a loser' or 'a jerk' after one event. Why global labels hurt, examples, and how to replac…

cbt self-image relationships effort-saving conflict

Personalization

Taking external events as proof something is wrong with you. Why it fuels guilt and low self-esteem, examples, and ho…

cbt self-image relationships causality conflict

Fortune Telling

Predicting the future with certainty and jumping to negative conclusions. CBT examples, why it fuels hopelessness, an…

cbt work probability uncertainty run the numbers

Assuming you know what others think without asking. How it sparks conflict, examples, and why checking in instead of …

cbt relationships emotion-driven conflict seek disconfirmation

Overgeneralization

One bad event becomes a never-ending pattern - 'always,' 'never.' Why it leads to avoidance and low mood, and how to …

cbt self-image effort-saving loss & failure run the numbers

Should Statements

Rigid 'shoulds,' 'musts,' and 'oughts' that fuel guilt and anxiety. CBT examples and how to soften into flexible pref…

cbt self-image relationships social pressure conflict

Holding yourself responsible for things beyond your control. How it feeds guilt and depression, and how to shift to b…

cbt self-image causality loss & failure outside view

Attributing problems to others and overlooking your part. Why this CBT error strains relationships, examples, and how…

cbt relationships causality identity protection conflict

Emotional Reasoning

Believing feelings equal facts - 'I feel it, so it must be true.' How this CBT distortion drives anxiety and poor dec…

cbt self-image relationships emotion-driven name the feeling

Need for Approval

The REBT need for approval: believing you must be liked, accepted, or validated by others. Examples, impact, and how …

rebt relationships self-image social pressure comparison

Need to Succeed

The REBT need to succeed: tying your worth to performance, achievement, and competence. Examples, emotional costs, an…

rebt work self-image social pressure comparison

People Must Treat Me Fairly

The REBT belief that other people must treat you fairly, respectfully, and properly. Why it fuels anger and resentmen…

rebt relationships emotion-driven conflict widen the frame

Life Must Be Fair

The REBT belief that life must be fair, easy, and go your way. Why it fuels bitterness and helplessness, with example…

rebt self-image emotion-driven loss & failure widen the frame

Awfulizing in REBT means turning bad events into catastrophes: terrible, horrible, unbearable. Learn examples, links …

rebt health self-image emotion-driven uncertainty

Can't-Stand-It Thinking

Can't-stand-it thinking is REBT's low frustration tolerance: believing discomfort, delay, effort, or uncertainty are …

rebt health self-image emotion-driven name the feeling

Self-downing in REBT means rating your whole self as bad, worthless, or defective after mistakes or failure. Examples…

rebt self-image emotion-driven loss & failure widen the frame

Other-downing in REBT means condemning a whole person as bad or worthless because of what they did. Examples, anger c…

rebt relationships groups identity protection conflict

Perfectionism through an REBT lens: rigid standards, fear of mistakes, self-rating, and why demanding success creates…

rebt work self-image social pressure comparison

Availability Heuristic

Judging likelihood by how easily examples come to mind. Why vivid news skews risk perception and how to think more cl…

cognitive online life memory probability run the numbers

Confirmation Bias

Favoring information that fits what you already believe. Causes, examples, research, and how to seek disconfirming ev…

cognitive groups online life attention identity protection

Sunk Cost Fallacy

Sticking with a losing bet because you've already invested. Why we throw good money after bad and how to decide on fu…

cognitive money work emotion-driven loss & failure

'I knew it all along' - why we overestimate predictability after the fact. How to learn from the past without distort…

cognitive work memory causality run the numbers

Illusory Correlation

Seeing a link between two things that aren't related. How stereotypes and superstitions form and how to test associat…

cognitive groups probability causality run the numbers

Judging an argument by whether you agree with the conclusion, not its logic. How it weakens reasoning and how to eval…

cognitive groups identity protection effort-saving seek disconfirmation

Cognitive Dissonance

Discomfort from holding conflicting beliefs or actions. Festinger's theory, examples, and how we reduce dissonance - …

cognitive self-image identity protection conflict name the feeling

System Justification

Defending the status quo even when it hurts you. Why we rationalize inequality and how to notice this bias. Examples …

cognitive groups social pressure identity protection outside view

Remembering events differently from what happened. How memories are reconstructed and how to reduce memory distortion…

cognitive relationships memory seek disconfirmation

Pseudocertainty Effect

Taking more risk when choices are framed as 'certain' or 'guaranteed.' How framing distorts decisions and how to see …

cognitive money probability uncertainty run the numbers

Hyperbolic Discounting

Preferring smaller, sooner rewards over larger, later ones. Why we undervalue the future and how to improve patience.…

cognitive money health emotion-driven time pressure

Cognitive Miser

Relying on mental shortcuts to save effort. When quick thinking helps vs. when it leads to bias and poor decisions. E…

cognitive work effort-saving time pressure slow down

Law of the Instrument

When the only tool you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail. When expertise becomes a trap and how to choos…

cognitive work effort-saving widen the frame

Overconfidence Effect

When your confidence in your judgments exceeds your actual accuracy. Research, examples, and how to seek feedback to …

cognitive work money identity protection uncertainty

Overestimating the likelihood of bad outcomes. How it affects anxiety and decisions and how to balance with evidence.…

cognitive self-image health emotion-driven uncertainty

Overestimating the likelihood of good outcomes. When it helps vs. when it leads to poor planning and risk-taking. Exa…

cognitive health money probability uncertainty

Curse of Knowledge

Assuming others know what you know - why experts struggle to teach. How to communicate clearly for beginners. Example…

cognitive work relationships outside view

Dunning-Kruger Effect

Overestimating skill when you know little - the research on why beginners are overconfident. How to self-assess bette…

cognitive work self-image identity protection comparison

Bias Blind Spot

Seeing biases in others but not in yourself. Why we think we're less biased and how to spot your own cognitive distor…

cognitive self-image identity protection outside view

Illusion of Control

Believing you have more influence over outcomes than you do. Examples in gambling and life, and how to accept uncerta…

cognitive money probability uncertainty run the numbers

Self-Handicapping

Creating obstacles or excuses before failure so you can blame them. Why we sabotage ourselves and how to commit fully…

cognitive work self-image identity protection loss & failure

Just-World Hypothesis

Believing people get what they deserve - good or bad. How it leads to blaming victims and how to see luck and circums…

cognitive groups causality identity protection outside view

Mere Ownership Effect

Valuing things more simply because you own them - the endowment effect. Examples and how to decide with a clearer hea…

cognitive money emotion-driven identity protection outside view

Egocentric Bias

Overemphasizing your own role or contributions in events. How it distorts memory and judgment and how to consider oth…

cognitive relationships self-image memory identity protection

Hostile Attribution Bias

Interpreting others' ambiguous behavior as hostile. Examples, impact on conflict, and how to consider benign explanat…

cognitive relationships emotion-driven conflict seek disconfirmation

Actor-Observer Bias

Blaming situation for your actions, personality for others'. Why we're kinder to ourselves and how to be fairer. Exam…

cognitive relationships causality conflict outside view

Reactive Devaluation

Dismissing an idea because of who proposed it. How it blocks agreement and how to evaluate proposals on merit. Exampl…

cognitive groups relationships identity protection conflict

False Consensus Effect

Overestimating how much others agree with you. Why we assume we're normal and how to check reality. Examples and prev…

cognitive groups online life effort-saving run the numbers

Base Rate Fallacy

Ignoring general statistics in favor of vivid specifics. How we neglect base rates in probability and how to use them…

cognitive money health probability run the numbers

Denomination Effect

Spending small bills more easily than equivalent large ones. How money framing affects spending and saving. Examples …

cognitive money effort-saving run the numbers

Focusing Effect

Placing too much weight on one aspect of a situation and ignoring the rest. How it distorts happiness and decisions a…

cognitive money attention comparison widen the frame

Self-Enhancement Bias

An inflated view of your abilities or character. Why we see ourselves through rose-colored glasses and when it backfi…

cognitive self-image identity protection comparison seek disconfirmation

Affect Heuristic

Deciding by how you feel about something rather than facts. How emotions shortcut reasoning and when to slow down. Ex…

cognitive money health emotion-driven time pressure

Assuming A caused B just because A came first. Post hoc reasoning, correlation vs. cause, and how to argue logically.

logical health causality run the numbers

Distorting someone's argument to make it easier to attack. Examples and how to argue against the real position. Straw…

logical groups online life identity protection conflict

Claiming one step will inevitably lead to disaster. When it's a fallacy vs. valid caution and how to evaluate causal …

logical groups causality emotion-driven uncertainty

False Dichotomy

Presenting two options as the only choices when more exist. Black-and-white framing and how to find middle ground.

logical groups effort-saving conflict widen the frame

Circular Reasoning

Assuming the conclusion in your argument - begging the question. Examples and how to give real support for claims.

logical groups identity protection effort-saving seek disconfirmation

Appeal to Emotion

Using feelings instead of evidence to persuade. When emotion is used to bypass logic and how to argue with reason. Ex…

logical online life groups emotion-driven slow down

Same information, different decisions based on how it's worded. Loss vs. gain framing and how to see through the fram…

logical money online life attention widen the frame

One positive trait colors your whole view of a person or brand. Examples in hiring and ratings and how to judge separ…

logical work relationships effort-saving seek disconfirmation

Trusting someone's claim because of their title or status. When to defer to experts and when to question authority. E…

logical work groups social pressure seek disconfirmation

Gambler's Fallacy

Thinking past random outcomes affect future ones - why 'due' outcomes are a myth. How to think about probability. Gam…

judgment money probability uncertainty run the numbers

Base Rate Neglect

Ignoring how common something is when judging likelihood. How we overweight specifics and how to use base rates. Exam…

judgment health money probability run the numbers

Judging a decision by its outcome instead of the process. Why good decisions can fail and bad ones succeed - and how …

judgment work money causality outside view

Misinformation Effect

Later information distorts memory of events. How post-event details alter recall and implications for witnesses. Rese…

judgment online life memory social pressure seek disconfirmation

Serial Position Effect

Remembering first and last items best - primacy and recency. How list order affects memory and persuasion. Examples a…

judgment work memory attention slow down

First impressions stick. Why we overweight early information in memory and judgment and how to correct for it. Exampl…

judgment relationships work memory attention

Recent information weighs too much. Why the last thing you heard can dominate and how to balance with the full pictur…

judgment work money memory attention

Hot-Hand Fallacy

Believing a streak will continue. Why we see patterns in randomness and how to avoid betting on false hot hands. Exam…

judgment money probability uncertainty run the numbers

Planning Fallacy

Underestimating time, cost, and risk; overestimating benefits. Why projects run late and how to plan more realistical…

judgment work probability uncertainty outside view

Pro-Innovation Bias

Overvaluing new ideas and underestimating downsides. Why we're overly optimistic about innovation and how to balance.

judgment work online life emotion-driven seek disconfirmation

Overconfidence Bias

Overestimating your knowledge or accuracy. Causes, examples in finance and health, and how to calibrate your confiden…

judgment work money identity protection uncertainty

Preferring to eliminate a small risk entirely over reducing a bigger one. Why we choose suboptimal safety and how to …

judgment health money probability emotion-driven

Neglect of Probability

Ignoring how likely something is when deciding. How we focus on outcomes and how to factor in probability. Examples a…

judgment health probability emotion-driven uncertainty

Motivated Reasoning

Rationalizing what you want to believe - desire shapes how we weigh evidence. How it drives polarization and how to r…

judgment groups self-image identity protection emotion-driven

Survivorship Bias

Learning only from successes and ignoring failures. Why it distorts lessons from history, business, and investing. Ex…

judgment money work attention probability

Prioritizing consensus over critical thinking. Janis's theory, examples of bad group decisions, and how to avoid conf…

social work groups social pressure seek disconfirmation

Bandwagon Effect

Believing or doing something because others do. How social proof shapes beliefs and how to think independently. Examp…

social online life groups social pressure slow down

Favoring your own group over others. Why we favor us vs. them and how to reduce tribalism in decisions and attitudes.

social groups social pressure identity protection outside view

Outgroup Homogeneity

Seeing 'them' as all alike and 'us' as diverse. How it fuels stereotyping and how to see individuals. Examples and pr…

social groups effort-saving seek disconfirmation

Applying group traits to individuals without evidence. How stereotypes form, persist, and how to interrupt them.

social groups relationships effort-saving social pressure

Stereotype Threat

Underperforming when worried about confirming a negative stereotype. The research and how to reduce its impact. Stere…

social self-image groups social pressure comparison

Moral Credential Effect

After doing something 'good,' allowing yourself to do something questionable. Why past virtue licenses future slack. …

social self-image identity protection slow down

The Attractiveness Bias

Judging people by looks - assuming attractive people are more competent or likable. The halo effect and how to judge …

social relationships work emotion-driven effort-saving

Self-Serving Bias

Crediting yourself for success, blaming outside factors for failure. Examples and how to attribute causes more fairly.

emotional self-image work identity protection loss & failure

Strong emotions (hunger, anger, fear) skewing judgment. How bodily and emotional states distort decisions and how to …

emotional health work emotion-driven name the feeling

Inflated self-importance distorting choices. How self-enhancement leads to poor decisions and how to stay grounded. E…

emotional self-image work identity protection outside view

Wishful Thinking

Believing something is true because you want it to be. Examples, impact on decisions, and how to balance hope with ev…

emotional money health emotion-driven uncertainty

Fundamental Attribution Error

Blaming personality for others' behavior, situation for yours. Why we judge others too harshly and how to correct.

perceptual relationships groups causality conflict

Contrast Effect

Context changing how you perceive something - e.g. price, performance. How comparison distorts judgment and how to co…

perceptual money self-image attention comparison

Source Confusion

Mixing up whether you saw, imagined, or were told something. How source monitoring fails and how to check memories. E…

perceptual online life memory seek disconfirmation

Doing the opposite when you feel pushed or restricted. Why we rebel against rules and how to reduce knee-jerk reactan…

perceptual relationships groups emotion-driven conflict

Representativeness Heuristic

Judging by how much something matches a stereotype. When similarity misleads probability and how to think clearly. Ex…

perceptual groups probability effort-saving run the numbers

Mere Exposure Effect

Preferring things just because they're familiar. Why repetition breeds liking and when to question familiarity. Examp…

perceptual online life money effort-saving slow down

The sequence of information changing your judgment. Primacy vs. recency in lists and how order shapes decisions. Exam…

behavioral work attention memory slow down

Vertical Line Failure

Sticking with a failing plan because it fits a linear approach. When persistence becomes rigidity and how to pivot.

behavioral work health effort-saving widen the frame

Search Satisficing

Stopping at the first 'good enough' option instead of the best. When settling is rational vs. when it's a trap. Examp…

behavioral work health effort-saving time pressure

Diagnosis Momentum

Locking onto an initial diagnosis and ignoring alternatives. How it causes medical errors and how to consider other o…

behavioral health work social pressure seek disconfirmation

When the first number or fact you hear skews your judgment. How it affects pricing, negotiations, and decisions - and…

behavioral money work effort-saving uncertainty

Reverting to common explanations when a rare one might be right. When 'when you hear hoofbeats' fails and how to stay…

behavioral health work social pressure uncertainty

Congruence Bias

Testing only what would confirm your idea, not disprove it. Why we seek confirmation and how to test hypotheses prope…

reasoning work effort-saving seek disconfirmation

Blind Spot Bias

Seeing others' reasoning errors but not your own. Why we have a blind spot for bias and how to improve self-awareness…

reasoning self-image identity protection comparison outside view

System 1 and System 2 Thinking

Kahneman's fast vs. slow thinking - when intuition helps and when it leads to bias. How to engage System 2. Examples …

reasoning work effort-saving time pressure slow down

Semmelweis Reflex

Rejecting new evidence because it contradicts what we believe. Why we resist paradigm shifts and how to update beliefs.

reasoning work groups identity protection conflict

Algorithmic Authority Bias

Treating rankings, feeds, or AI output as proof something is true. Why it happens in the digital era, examples, and h…

digital online life work effort-saving seek disconfirmation

Virality as Truth

Confusing likes, shares, and views with accuracy or importance. How social metrics distort belief and how to check ev…

digital online life groups social pressure seek disconfirmation

Outrage Amplification

Mistaking emotional intensity for evidence. How feeds amplify outrage and how to slow down and separate facts from re…

digital online life groups emotion-driven conflict

Doomscroll Determinism

A stream of bad news becomes a bleak forecast. Why doomscrolling skews perception and how to rebalance your informati…

digital online life health attention emotion-driven

Context Collapse Mind Reading

Inferring intent and character from posts stripped of tone and context. Examples, risks, and how to seek fuller context.

digital online life relationships emotion-driven conflict

Screenshot Epistemology

Treating cropped screenshots and clips as sufficient proof. Why it misleads and how to check provenance and original …

digital online life groups attention seek disconfirmation

Metric Fixation (KPI Morality)

When measurable numbers become your definition of value. How metrics skew goals and how to reconnect numbers to purpose.

digital work online life attention comparison

Parasocial Overconfidence

Feeling you truly know a public figure from curated fragments. Why familiarity turns into certainty and how to reduce…

digital online life relationships emotion-driven outside view

AI Oracle Fallacy

Treating fluent AI output as vetted expertise. Why clarity can be misleading and how to verify high-stakes claims.

digital online life work effort-saving uncertainty

Automation Complacency

Over-trusting automated summaries and recommendations and skipping checks. How to calibrate verification to the stakes.

digital work online life effort-saving slow down

Hallucination Anchoring

An AI-generated mistake becomes the anchor even after correction. Why first claims stick and how to reset from verifi…

digital online life work effort-saving seek disconfirmation

Deepfake Cynicism (Liar's Dividend)

Sliding from 'some media is fake' to 'nothing can be trusted.' How blanket doubt blocks truth and how to verify respo…

digital online life groups uncertainty seek disconfirmation

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11 Families

Browse by category

Each family of thinking bugs shares a common mechanism and flavor of distortion.

CBT Thinking Errors

Classical distortions from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

REBT Irrational Beliefs

Rigid demands and catastrophic evaluations that fuel misery

Cognitive Distortions

The broadest family of reality-bending thought patterns

Logical Fallacies

Structural errors that corrupt otherwise valid reasoning

Judgment Errors

Heuristics and biases that systematically warp decisions

Social Thinking Traps

Patterns that distort how we read people and groups

Emotional Pitfalls

Letting feelings override evidence and reason

Perceptual Biases

How selective attention shapes what we perceive as real

Behavioral Traps

Action patterns driven by irrational underlying assumptions

Deeper flaws in how conclusions are formed from evidence

Digital Distortions

Modern bugs amplified by screens and social media

Three steps

From catalog to clearer thinking

Study thinking bugs as objects, learn to spot them in your own mind, then practice replacing them with balanced alternatives.

1

Observe

Browse the catalog. Each thinking bug is a named, defined object with examples and real-world patterns — so you can study distortion from the outside.

Browse catalog

2

Identify

The more familiar you are with these patterns, the faster you catch them in your own thoughts — in the moment, or when you look back.

Explore specimens

3

Reframe

Replace distorted thoughts with balanced alternatives. Reframing App is a CBT-inspired, AI-powered reframing tool for working with the thinking bugs in this catalog.

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