What Is All-Or-Nothing Thinking?
All-or-nothing thinking — also known as black-and-white thinking — is one of the most common and impactful cognitive distortions identified in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Among the many cognitive behavioral therapy techniques used to improve mental health, learning to recognize and challenge cognitive distortions is one of the most widely practiced. These unhelpful thought patterns are mental shortcuts or assumptions we often make without considering all the evidence or exploring more balanced alternatives.
All-or-nothing thinking is a distortion in which people view situations, themselves, or others in extreme, absolute terms. In this pattern of thinking, there’s no middle ground — things are either completely good or entirely bad, a total success or a complete failure. For example, if your presentation wasn’t flawless, you might think it was a disaster. Or if you don’t meet 100% of your goals, you might conclude you’ve failed entirely.
This type of rigid, binary thinking fails to reflect the complexity and nuance of real life. It oversimplifies situations and can lead to harsh self-judgment, unrealistic expectations, and emotional suffering. All-or-nothing thinking is closely related to overgeneralization , another cognitive distortion in which broad, negative conclusions are drawn based on limited experiences or isolated setbacks.
The Emotional Impact of All-or-Nothing Thinking
While black-and-white thinking may sometimes feel motivating in the short term, it often leads to intense emotional reactions such as frustration, anxiety, hopelessness, and shame. For individuals struggling with perfectionism, low self-esteem, anxiety disorders, or depression, all-or-nothing thinking can become a daily mental trap that reinforces negative feelings and self-defeating behaviors.
For example, a student who receives a B on a test may see themselves as a complete failure, even though the grade is objectively above average. Or someone trying to improve their health might give up on their goals entirely after missing one workout, believing their efforts are now worthless. These distorted interpretations increase distress and make it harder to stay motivated and self-compassionate.
Examples of All-Or-Nothing Thinking
Take, for example, all-or-nothing thinking in a job interview. During the interview, you're caught off-guard by a question and don't answer it as well as you'd have liked. Using all-or-nothing thinking, you're likely to disregard the other 95% of the interview and think that it was “horrible” or a “waste of time,” triggering disappointment and shame. Here, it's clear that this negative thinking pattern sets an unreasonable rule: any outcome less than perfect equates to"terrible." It's easy to see how seeing things in extremes can lead to a lot of harsh judgments about yourself, lowering self-esteem in the process. (You can learn more about this here: CBT for Self-esteem.)
This distortion can also disrupt attempts to change behavior, such as sticking to a diet. Another example: If you think about your diet in all-or-nothing terms, one indiscretion or cheat meal could totally derail all of your whole diet. If anything short of 100% might as well be 0%, then sticking to your diet 90% of the time means you've failed, so you might as well eat whatever you want.
All-Or-Nothing Thinking Examples
A single mistake ruins the entire project.
It’s unsafe to go outside because it’s flu season.
The next-door neighbor is loud, so they’re a bad person.
Anything less than an A+ is a failure.
Forgetting a birthday means you are uncaring.
All-Or-Nothing Thinking in Perfectionism
All-or-nothing thinking frequently serves as a breeding ground for excessive perfectionism. This distortion leads people to feel that any mistake or even an outcome that falls short of absolute perfection is a complete failure. Obviously, this is an unrealistic expectation, but it's easy to creep in when we are not in the habit of examining our thoughts. This obsessive quest for perfection creates unattainable expectations and accentuates even tiny defects, pushing perfectionists to participate in a never-ending loop of self-criticism and discontent. As a result, the continuous pursuit of perfection causes chronic stress and increases negative emotions. It can also inhibit creativity, impede personal growth, and destroy self-esteem.
This perfectionistic all-or-nothing thinking is common in academic performance, career attainment, social performance, and physical appearance. Perfectionism can contribute to a number of mental health problems, including depression, anxiety, and dysregulated anger. Habitual perfectionism can also lead to avoidance, procrastination, and not finishing simple tasks.
All-Or-Nothing Thinking in Depression
All-or-nothing thinking can play a substantial role in developing and worsening clinical depression. This distortion develops a harsh view of one's experiences and accomplishments, in which any perceived failure or setback is viewed as a devastating defeat. Exaggerating failures and faults while dismissing positive qualities results in feelings of worthlessness and hopelessness. When people fall into using this distortion habitually, this contributes to feelings of inadequacy and a sense of being defective, both of which are common symptoms of clinical depression. Recognizing all-or-nothing thinking and learning new strategies to find the middle ground can help people overcome depression and enhance a greater sense of self-acceptance and well-being.
All-Or-Nothing Thinking in Anxiety
All-or-nothing thinking is also intimately linked to the development and exacerbation of anxiety and anxiety disorders. This distorted thinking pattern propels individuals into a state of perpetual unease, as they believe that any situation must either result in complete success or utter failure. This extreme, binary perspective fosters a constant fear of falling short and the anticipation of dire consequences if perfection is not achieved. The chronic apprehension resulting from this style of thinking can lead to increased baseline anxiety levels, constantly feeling on edge, and fearing that any misstep may result in catastrophic outcomes. Over time, this pattern of thinking can result in anxiety disorders, such as generalized anxiety disorder and social anxiety disorder. Recognizing all-or-nothing thinking and learning to develop more realistic expectations can result in more confidence in challenging situations. Targeting all-or-nothing thinking is often a core component of CBT for GAD (generalized anxiety disorder) and CBT for social anxiety.
Finding the Gray
There are a number of CBT interventions that serve as antidotes to this distortion. One, known as cognitive restructuring or cognitive reappraisal, is making an effort to look for an alternative viewpoint, namely, reframing the thought by finding shades of gray. For example, “I was thrown off by that one interview question, but the rest of my performance was solid.” Another example is, “One brownie doesn’t erase my success with my diet. I’ve made significant changes and can expect things won’t always go perfectly.”
By learning to see things on a continuum of 0 to 100 rather than 1 to 0, it's easy to gain perspective and realize there is the possibility of a middle ground; there are things that are a little worse, a little better, or about the same. By taking different points of view, you get out of the routine of just seeing things in black-and-white terms and replace it with a more nuanced view of situations. Learning to think this way can profoundly affect the way you feel about yourself and improve low self-esteem.
Identifying and reworking distortions comes from a therapy technique called cognitive restructuring. Explore these links to learn more about CBT and cognitive restructuring.
If you’re in California and have questions about whether CBT therapy is right for you, please visit Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Los Angeles for more information or to schedule a free phone consultation with a therapist.