Assuming you know what others think about you.
Mind reading happens when the brain fills in another person’s private thoughts with a negative assumption and then reacts as if that assumption were verified fact.
This distortion often appears during ambiguity. Instead of tolerating not knowing, the mind reaches for certainty and usually chooses the most self-threatening interpretation.
“My manager paused after my update. She probably thinks I sounded disorganized and regrets trusting me with this project.”
A pause can mean many things: processing, distraction, fatigue, or neutrality. Without direct evidence, the interpretation remains a guess, not a conclusion.
“They haven't replied in two hours. I must have said something annoying and now they're pulling away.”
People delay replies for dozens of reasons unrelated to you. Silence is not a readable transcript of someone else’s mind.
Replace imagined certainty with observation, alternatives, and direct clarification when it is actually needed.
Ask yourself: What observable facts do I actually have?
A kinder version: I do not know what they think yet; I can check instead of guessing.
Relief walks through this on iPhone — capture the thought, name the distortion, weigh the evidence, write a more balanced version. Everything stays encrypted on your device. No account, no cloud.