Mind Reading or Jumping to Conclusions

This cognitive distortion manifests as the inaccurate belief that we know what another person is thinking, feeling or their intentions without checking it out with them. Of course, it is possible to have an idea of what other people are thinking, but this distortion refers to the negative interpretations that we assume. Seeing a stranger with an unpleasant expression and jumping to the conclusion that they are thinking something negative about you is an example of this distortion.