“Never” and “Always” are your favorite words
Negative people have a habit of seeing the world in all-or-none terms. When a friend can’t make it to brunch, you tell yourself they “always flake.” When a job interview doesn’t lead to an offer, you “never do well at interviews.”
“When we see the world or our circumstances in terms of absolutes, that leaves little to no room for any exceptions,” says Williamson. “When exceptions happen, we have to find a way to explain them to fit our absolutist worldview, otherwise we can become confused and anxious.”
