Am I a Mind Reader?
More info
Have you ever assumed you knew exactly what someone else was thinking? It’s super common—especially when you’re feeling anxious or down.
You might have thoughts like:
“They think I’m annoying.”
“My teacher probably thinks I’m lazy.”
“My friends are definitely talking about me behind my back.”
Sometimes, your guess might be right—but most the time, you are wrong. People are famously poor at “”knowing”” what someone else if thinking and feeling.”
Detailed info
Ask. Don’t speculate/ mindread or convince yourself that you know. When you find yourself feeling very confident about what another person is feeling and thinking:
Pause and breath: one slow breath in, slow breath out.
Name the story: “The story I’m telling myself is ______________.”
Ask or consider other options: If you can ask:
“Hey, when ____, I wondered if ____. Is that right?”
If you can’t ask:Write two other possible reasons: “Maybe they were tired / busy / stressed.”
Act gently: Choose a calm next step (e.g., send a neutral message, wait and check later).
Examples
Mind read: “She’s ignoring me.”
Check: “Hey, did you see my message from yesterday?”
Mind read: “Teacher thinks I’m lazy.”
Check: “Could we talk about my homework? I want to understand how to improve.”
Tip: If your confidence in the guess is higher than your evidence, it’s a red flag—ask before assuming.
Am I a Mind Reader?
Insight
Have you ever assumed you knew exactly what someone else was thinking? It’s super common—especially when you’re feeling anxious or down.
You might have thoughts like:
“They think I’m annoying.”
“My teacher probably thinks I’m lazy.”
“My friends are definitely talking about me behind my back.”
Sometimes, your guess might be right—but most the time, you are wrong. People are famously poor at “”knowing”” what someone else if thinking and feeling.”
Practice
Ask. Don’t speculate/ mindread or convince yourself that you know. When you find yourself feeling very confident about what another person is feeling and thinking:
Pause and breath: one slow breath in, slow breath out.
Name the story: “The story I’m telling myself is ______________.”
Ask or consider other options: If you can ask:
“Hey, when ____, I wondered if ____. Is that right?”
If you can’t ask:Write two other possible reasons: “Maybe they were tired / busy / stressed.”
Act gently: Choose a calm next step (e.g., send a neutral message, wait and check later).
Examples
Mind read: “She’s ignoring me.”
Check: “Hey, did you see my message from yesterday?”
Mind read: “Teacher thinks I’m lazy.”
Check: “Could we talk about my homework? I want to understand how to improve.”
Tip: If your confidence in the guess is higher than your evidence, it’s a red flag—ask before assuming.