Understanding Unhelpful Thinking Patterns and How CBT Can Help Have you ever walked away from a situation feeling certain you failed — even when the evidence says otherwise? Or found yourself thinking: “I always mess things up.” “They must think I’m an idiot.” “If I can’t do this perfectly, why try at all?” These patterns aren’t personality flaws. They’re called cognitive distortions — habitual ways of thinking that skew how we interpret ourselves, others, and the world. At