Introduction

One of modern psychology’s best-established insights is also one of its most consequential: We don’t perceive reality directly, but through mental filters that often warp our judgments in ways that cause needless suffering. 

We catastrophize small setbacks, assume we know what others are thinking, and predict disasters that never arrive. But in this new series, psychologist Seth Gillihan shows us how to identify these and many other cognitive distortions, and to replace them with more rational, more empowering interpretations.

With clearer thoughts about ourselves, others, and the world, says Gillihan, we discover that much of our worry stems from imaginary causes—and that life's inevitable real challenges are often more manageable than they first appear.