Distorted Thinking That We All Do When We're Not At Our Best - "Emotional Reasoning"

This basis of this distortion is that you believe that if you feel something, it must be true. If you feel like a loser, then you must be a loser. If you feel guilty, then you must have done something wrong. If you feel ugly, then it must be true and no one will be able to convince you of something different despite the evidence or opinions they present.

All the negative things you feel about yourself and others must be true because they feel true. The problem with emotional reasoning is that emotions by themselves have no validity and are subject to change as you change your thoughts. Emotions are always a result of what you think. If you have distorted thoughts and beliefs your emotions will reflect those same distortions. Always believing your emotions is like believing everything that you read in print, hear on cable news commentaries or read on the internet.

What area of your life or what current or past situation may be causing you angst due to Emotional Reasoning? What is another way to look at it?

Next Week: Distorted Thinking - Changing Other People