Automatic negative thoughts

The Stoic philosophers in ancient Greece discovered that our emotions aren’t caused by the things that happen to us, but by the thoughts these events trigger.

Our frustration often arises from automatic negative thoughts (ANTs). "This project is a disaster.” “Those people just don’t understand.” “It’s useless talking to him.” “I’ll never be able to do this right.” When we experience ANTs, we move away from fact-based reasoning and instead fall prey to mental distortions.