Dichotomous Thinking

Dichotomous thinking is also referred to as black or white thinking. It is seeing things, situations, relationships, and experiences as either perfect or failure. Since people with this way of thinking do not see gray areas, they often end up disappointed or frustrated.

For instance, everything seemed to be going smoothly during a date, however, the dessert which was ordered was 5 minutes late; hence, the girl with dichotomous thinking concluded that it was a disastrous night. This unhealthy cognitive pattern is often linked with borderline personality disorder which is characterized by unstable moods and relationships due to a dichotomous mindset.