Uncertainty, unpredictability, ambiguity, doubt… More than the goriest horror movie, these gray area situations can strike fear in heart of many a recovering perfectionist. As perfectionists, we tend to gravitate toward structure and rules as a way to keep ourselves “safe,” and our preference for certainty can suck us deep into the trap of black and white thinking.

Just like perfectionism is a way of thinking and behaving, of interacting with others and the world, black and white thinking is also a pattern. In today’s episode, we explore the downsides -- and the upsides -- of black and white thinking, where it tends to show up most, and how to stop it from running our lives.