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Understanding the psychological rewards of bad habits
Creating new habits to replace old ones
Developing self-discipline
Three categories of exaggeration
- Cognitive distortions: Distorted thinking patterns can lead to overestimation (exaggerating the likelihood of an event) or catastrophizing (exaggerating the importance of an event). Exaggeration as a form of cognitive distortion is most common in emotionally-charged situations.
- Manipulation: This is tied with attention-seeking. At a young age, children start amplifying achievements and obstacles in order to seek attention. Other forms of manipulation such as bragging and boasting are common at all ages to seek attention. Exaggeration in this case is not necessarily intended to hurt the other party.
- Pathology. Exaggerated all-or-nothing thinking is extremely common in depression. Narcissists display a grandiose sense of self-importance. And catastrophizing is associated with paranoid behaviour.
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How to spot and stop exaggerating
- Be aware of the adverbs and qualifiers you're using such as “incredibly”, “the best” or similar qualifiers. Ask yourself: do these add value to the statement? Are they a true reflection of reality?
- Use realistic synonyms. Are you “exhausted” or just "tired"? Is the challenge you are facing “impossible” or just “difficult”? Instead of “starving”, maybe you're just “hungry”.
- Embrace vulnerability. Instead of trying to impress your interlocutor, focus on building an authentic connection. This will keep you away from game of exaggeration, where each person tries to top what the other said.
- Correct yourself when you catch yourself embellishing a story or bragging about an accomplishment.
- Ponder why you exaggerated. Even if you sometimes exaggerate, it’s good practice to reflect on the reason why you did it.
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