Black and white thinking is a thought pattern that makes people think in absolutes. For instance, you may think you are either always right or the world’s biggest failure.

Black and white thinking is the tendency to see things in extremes. Things are either all bad or all good. This type of thinking can affect your relationships, career, and even your health.

BLACK-AND-WHITE THINKING IS often a learned habit that’s influenced by a mental health condition, trauma, or other factors, Dr. Patel-Dunn says. Westend61 // Getty Images ...

The Problem With Black-and-White Thinking. Dichotomous, polarized thinking is maladaptive for several reasons. This type of cognition results in a distorted picture of any reality that is not, ...

Black and white thinking is simplifying things to the point that only opposites are visible. We can reel off sets of opposites like good and bad, wise and foolish, spicy and bland. We learn these ...

A graphic displayed in the guidelines, entitled "Aspects and Assumptions of Whiteness in the United States," declares that rational thinking and hard work, among others, are white values.