Have you ever felt like you were either a complete success or a total failure? Like one difficult conversation meant a relationship was falling apart, or one mistake meant you had ruined everything? If so, you are not alone. This pattern is often called black and white thinking, or all-or-nothing thinking. It is a common way the mind tries to simplify a complicated world. When life feels uncertain, overwhelming, or emotionally charged, the brain may reach for extremes because extremes can feel more manageable than the unknown. But while black and white thinking may create a temporary sense of control, it can also...