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The following thinking errors are relatively common habits of thinking that were originally described by Aaron Beck. CBT is used to 'un-learn' these habits.

• All or none thinking
• Things are seen in black and white. If you don't finish something perfectly, then you're a complete failure. Things in life are either wonderful or terrible.
• Over generalisation
• One may conclude that since a single negative event occurred in the past that it will occur over and over again.
• Jumping to conclusions
• Something is interpreted negatively (incorrectly) even though there are no facts or evidence to support the conclusion. One way to reconcile this would be to check out the situation and gather information instead of assuming.
• Mental filter
• The focus is so intently on one negative detail that the whole outlook on the situation is negative.
• Rejecting the positive
• The positive experiences are rejected and held firmly that they "don't count" for one reason or another. Enjoying positive feelings isn't allowed as a bad or negative feeling is sure.
• Magnification or minimising
• One's own human errors and other' successes are magnified (blow out of proportion). Alternatively, successes and good qualities are minimised (discounted) while minimising other's mistakes.
• Should statements
• This leads to anger, guilt, frustration and resentment. Attempting to motivate oneself by saying should or shouldn't is like saying one has/needs to be punished in order to do something. "I should have done more to help," does one no good in the long run.
• Emotional reasoning
• If one feels a certain way then that means it is true. "I feel bad, so it must be true and I am a bad person."
• Labelling and mislabelling
• An even more extreme form of over generalising. Saying "I'm a loser" after making one mistake is attaching an inaccurate label to oneself. Mislabelling could be calling another person "lazy" when describing their behaviour.
• Blame and personalisation
• This is when one takes personal responsibility for something that is not in their control. An example could be blaming oneself for a spouse's medical illness by saying, "I am to blame, if only I had made him/her exercise more."