Do people often tell you that you see things in black and white, and miss all the shades of gray? This problem is called “all-or-nothing thinking” and can lead to real problems. Learn about the phenomenon and its consequences.

All-or-nothing thinking is one of several common unhelpful ways of thinking known as cognitive distortions. All-or-nothing thinking casts things in extremes – it seems there are only two ways things can be. This kind of thinking makes it easy to believe there is no flexibility or ambiguity in a situation. It leads you to feel trapped by what seems like a small number of possibilities.