How to Overcome Emotional Reasoning

Believe it or not, emotional reasoning is neither rare nor uncommon. It is present when we feel jealous and conclude that our partner is cheating on us, with no reason or evidence to back this assumption up. It is in play when we feel judged and scrutinized, without a single remark or event as proof. It can negatively impact our impression when meeting a prospective employer triggers anxiety. It is what keeps us up at night when we doubt a major life decision—like a house purchase—even without reason to feel anxiety or buyer’s remorse. It's present when, fearing the negative judgment of a friend or family member, you say yes to an investment, with no understanding of the costs or risks.

What do these scenarios have in common? They are all examples of emotional reasoning.

Feelings Over Facts: Defining Emotional Reasoning

Emotional reasoning, often referred to in the vernacular as magical thinking, may seem harmless at first glance, but in reality, it is a harmful cognitive distortion in the form of a thought pattern that impacts an individual’s sense of reality, safety, self-esteem, and hopefulness. Therein, our feelings and emotional reactions are perceived facts, and, without corroborating evidence, inform our decision-making,

What role should emotions play in our life choices? Why is relying on our emotions so problematic?

Powerful Thoughts and Feelings

There is no doubt that our thoughts—especially our negative ones—are powerful things and that our emotions play a significant role in our decision-making. In her 2020 book, Seven and a Half Lessons About the Brain, neuroscientist and author Lisa Feldman Barrett, Ph.D., explores the role of feelings. In a 2020 interview with organizational psychologist and author Michael Rucker, Ph.D., she explains that “what evolution has fashioned us are these simple affects of feeling. You feel good, you feel not so good, you feel worked up, you feel calm, you feel comfortable, you feel uncomfortable… and there isn’t a single cause of those feelings.”

In a nutshell, the fact is that feelings are not facts.

The Harmful Impacts of Emotional Reasoning

Feeling incapable or inadequate does not mean you are not up to completing a task or meeting a deadline. Feeling guilty does not make you guilty. Feelings of defeat that hold you back from applying for a desired promotion are neither helpful nor healthy.

A recent analysis of studies of the relationship between emotional disorders and emotional reasoning in adults established a strong link between anxiety disorders and emotional reasoning. A 2025 study on the role of emotional recovery after failure linked difficulties in “gaining a clear view of one's emotions to difficulty in recovering from negative mood exhibited in depression-prone people.” A 2021 study identified that emotional reasoning is a mechanism of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and concluded that emotional reasoning “leads to the maintenance of some pathological disorders, such as anxiety disorders, mood disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorders, and personality disorders.”

The Roots of Emotional Reasoning

Emotional reasoning begins in core beliefs rooted in early childhood experiences and modeled behaviors of our parents and caregivers. They are the deep-seated self-beliefs that we take on during this phase of development. When our core beliefs include that we are not smart enough, worthy, or capable of achieving what we want in life, these beliefs or thoughts can lead to settling for less in life.

Learning to Respond Rather Than React

Emotional reasoning keeps us stuck in patterns of reactivity based on negative emotions, rather than responding from a more informed, well-rounded, and adaptive perspective, and moving forward in positivity, confidence, and hope. The reality is that we are here to live our lives authentically, to strive to achieve the goals we set for ourselves, and create the life we truly want and deserve.

7 Strategies for Breaking Free of Emotional Reasoning

• Recognize where and when emotional reasoning is in play in your life. Acknowledge and accept how your negative emotions play out in self-limiting behaviors and choices.

• Identify and name your recurring negative emotions, self-judgments, and negative core beliefs.

• Build your awareness of how this harmful thought pattern clouds your judgment, impedes your ability to assess situations objectively and fully, and holds you back from achieving your goals. Awareness, after all, is the first step to positive change.

• Accept the reality that feelings are not facts, and that our negative emotions are not necessarily accurate nor all-encompassing.

• Work on challenging your negative core beliefs, fears, and assumptions.

• Reflect on a situation or event where your emotional reasoning held you back from an opportunity or experience. Compile external evidence to support your reasoning, as well as evidence to the contrary. Think about how taking into consideration the external facts as well as your feelings may have resulted in a different, more positive outcome, and strive to factor in external facts and information to help you respond, rather than emotionally react in situations you are facing in the present.

• Seek the help of a mental health professional if you are feeling overwhelmed by negative emotions and stuck in patterns of emotional reasoning. A therapist can provide you with insights, skills, strategies, and tools to help you break free of emotional reasoning.

To find a therapist, please visit the Psychology Today Therapy Directory.