Irrational Thinking and Debilitative Emotions
FALLACY A fallacy is a component of an argument that is perceptibly flawed in its logic or form, thus rendering the argument invalid in whole.
Fallacies of Perfection: the irrational belief that a worthwhile communicator should be able to handle every situation with complete confidence and skill.
Approval: the irrational belief that it is vital to win the approval of virtually every person a communicator deals with.
Shoulds: the irrational belief that people should behave in the most desirable way.
Overgeneralizations: the irrational beliefs in which (1)conclusions are based on limited evidence or (2) communicators exaggerate their shortcomings.
Causation: the irrational belief that emotions are caused by others and not by the person who has them.
Helplessness: the irrational belief that satisfaction in life is determined by forces beyond one’s control.
Catastrophic Expectations: the irrational belief that the worst possible outcome will probably occur.
WHAT IS THIS FALLACY? “I really don’t like rock concerts, but I go so others won’t think I’m a loser.”
“Those interviews made me so nervous.”
“ She’ll really upset me if she comes late again.”
“You ought to keep in touch more.”
“ She is such a cold fish; I’m lucky if I get a kiss on the cheek!”
“Look at this rotten paper “Look at this rotten paper! I got an “A”, but I missed these two dumb typos.”
“ I know I’ll make a fool of myself if I tell him how I feel.”
“No matter what I do I just can’t seem to manage my time.”
“ You’re always finishing my sentences for me.”
“ I can’t afford it, but if I don’t lend Rob $50, he probably won’t like me anymore.”