Labelling

Labelling is an extreme form of overgeneralisation where you attach a fixed, global label to yourself or others based on a single event or trait. This can further cement your existing core beliefs.

Examples:

• Instead of thinking "I made a mistake," you think "I'm an idiot."
• Instead of "He was late," you think "He's completely unreliable."
• Instead of "I didn't get the job," you think "I'm a loser."

Labels feel definitive. They reduce a complex human being to a single word — and once the label is applied, it colours how you see everything that follows.