What's Your Dominant Thinking Trap?

Ever feel like your mind plays tricks on you, twisting situations in predictable, unhelpful ways? Our thoughts can fall into common "traps" that fuel negative loops. Take this quick quiz to discover which thinking trap might be holding you back the most!

Instructions:
Read each statement and choose the answer that most often reflects your typical reaction or thought pattern. Be honest – there are no right or wrong answers!

1. When something goes wrong, how do you usually react?

A. "It's either perfect or a complete disaster. There's no in-between." (All-or-Nothing)
B. "This minor problem is going to lead to absolute catastrophe." (Catastrophizing)
C. "This always happens to me. I'm just unlucky/incapable." (Overgeneralization)
D. "I focus on the one negative thing, even if there were many positives." (Mental Filtering)

2. You receive a compliment at work, but also one small piece of constructive feedback. What sticks in your mind?

A. "The feedback means I'm terrible, the compliment doesn't count." (Discounting the Positive / Mental Filtering)
B. "They probably think I'm a mess after that feedback." (Mind-Reading)
C. "I should have done better. This proves I'm not good enough." ("Should" Statements / Self-Criticism)
D. "This confirms I'm never going to excel." (Overgeneralization)

3. You're about to start a new task/project. What's your immediate internal voice telling you?

A. "I just know this is going to be a disaster." (Fortune-Telling)
B. "I feel completely overwhelmed, so it must be impossible." (Emotional Reasoning)
C. "If I make one mistake, it means I'm a complete failure." (All-or-Nothing / Labeling)
D. "I'm only doing this because I have to; it's a chore." ("Should" Statements)

4. Someone you know achieves something great. How do you react internally?

A. "They're so amazing, and I'm just worthless in comparison." (Social Comparison / Labeling)
B. "They probably just got lucky; it wasn't real skill." (Discounting the Positive - of others)
C. "I should be doing that well too." ("Should" Statements)
D. "I'll never achieve anything like that." (Fortune-Telling / Overgeneralization)

5. When something unexpected or slightly negative happens, what's your first thought?

A. "This always happens to me; things never go right." (Overgeneralization)
B. "This is clearly my fault, even if I wasn't directly involved." (Personalization)
C. "This is terrible, everything is ruined now." (Catastrophizing)
D. "I feel terrible, so the situation is terrible." (Emotional Reasoning)

Quiz Results (Map answers to dominant distortion):

Mostly As: You might lean towards All-or-Nothing Thinking or Discounting the Positive. You tend to see the world in extremes, making it hard to appreciate nuance or acknowledge your successes.

Mostly Bs: Catastrophizing or Mind-Reading could be your dominant traps. Your mind often jumps to the worst possible conclusions or assumes negative intentions from others.

Mostly Cs: Watch out for Overgeneralization and "Should" Statements. You might take single events and apply them broadly, or hold yourself (and others) to rigid rules.

Mostly Ds: Fortune-Telling and Emotional Reasoning might be your go-to patterns. You tend to predict negative futures or let your feelings dictate your reality.

Call to Action After Results:

Ready to challenge this thinking trap? Understanding is the first step to freedom! Learn more about your dominant thinking trap and discover strategies to rewire your mind in our Identify Cognitive Distortions section.