Here are some examples of irrational thoughts,
which often may lead to misunderstanding among people

1. over generalization: drawing a general conclusion on the basis of a single incident

eg. saying that a person is NEVER right when he has done a single mistake


2. selective abstraction: attending to a detail while ignoring the total context

eg. feeling that somebody rejects you, simply because he didn't talk to you when he was rushing to catch the bus

3. Personalization: attributing an external event to yourself

eg. thinking that people who are laughing are laughing at you

4. Polarized thinking: Thinking in extremes; either black or white or all-or-none fashion

eg. thinking that you are a pauper after having lost your wallet

5. magnification or minimization : viewing something as far more or less important than it is

eg. thinking that you are a poor writer after getting a paper with few corrections

6. arbitrary inference: drawing conclusions without sufficient or reliable evidence

eg. believing that you have been laid off from a job because of personal incompetence, although the company has gone out of business


source: Speigler, M. Contemporary Behavior Therapy