The Shyness & Social Anxiety Workbook
112Mind Reading
Mind reading  is actually just an example of a probability overestimation. It involves 
making negative assumptions about what other people are thinking, particularly what 
they might be thinking about you. If social anxiety is a problem for you, it is likely 
that you assume that others think negatively about you. Although it is true that people 
sometimes make negative judgments about others, the chances are that this occurs much 
less often than you think. In many cases, your assumptions about what others are think -
ing are probably exaggerated or even completely untrue. Each of the following kinds of 
thoughts represents mind reading:
Examples of Mind Reading
UÊPeople ﬁnd me boring.
UÊMy boss will think I’m an idiot if he sees my hands shaking.
UÊWhen people look at me, they are thinking I am strange or weird.
UÊMost people see anxiety as a sign of weakness.
UÊMy friends think I am awkward or stupid when I lose my train of thought.
UÊPeople always know when I am feeling anxious.
Can you think of recent examples of times when you have made assumptions about 
what other people are thinking about you? If so, list your own examples of mind reading 
below:
Personalization
Personalization  is the tendency to take more responsibility for a negative situation than 
you should, rather than acknowledging all of the different factors that may have contrib -
uted to the situation. Here are some examples of personalization, followed by examples 
of other factors that in reality may have contributed to the situation.