We often focus on the “right” way to do things, but just as important, is the “wrong” way to go about things. I’ve recently become much more aware of an anti-pattern that I keep running up against: Black and white thinking.

Black and white thinking is what it sounds like: it’s a thought pattern where you frequently think in absolutes. More often than not, this takes the shape of “If X then Y” in my head:

  • If I don’t wake up on time, I won’t have a good day.
  • If we don’t build a new feature a certain way, it won’t be successful.
  • If I start something, I have to finish it now.

You get the picture. This anti-pattern appears in my personal life, work life, and just about everywhere in between. Over and over again. It’s a tricky thought process to catch in the act, and when I fail to catch myself, I suspect I’m about 20% less happy and effective as a decision maker.

Why this happens

In my experience, the main reason this happens is a discomfort with uncertainty. I like understanding things, and I don't like how it feels when I lack understanding. So I reduce, simplify, and distill things down to a system or set of concepts, principles that I can understand. My newsletter is called Oversimplified, for Christ’s sake. This approach kicks ass for problem solving and decision making in many contexts, but as they say, when your favorite tool is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.

Some problems, decisions, and concepts aren’t black and white, and don’t benefit from being simplified to that extent. Often it’s a spectrum. Often there are shades of grey. It’s important to acknowledge that first and orient yourself, before then deciding whether or not simplifying is appropriate.

What’s worked for me

While I'm still figuring out how to be more mindful of this anti-pattern, the main tool that has worked for me so far is self-talk. Reminding myself constantly that things aren’t black and white, that my thoughts aren’t necessarily reflective of reality. It’s okay to simplify, but it’s dangerous to do it unconsciously.

You're never going to be perfect. I still suspect most of the time I don’t catch myself and this anti-pattern flies under the radar. But if you can catch it and interrogate that way of thinking, it makes a huge difference. If you made it this far, I hope this helps get the gears turning, and maybe even spark something in your mind next time you catch yourself thinking “If X then Y” or using language like “always.” Best of luck out there.

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