Have you ever thought, “Everyone will hurt me,” “Nobody needs me,” “All men are dangerous,” “Women will cheat,” or “Wherever I go, I will fail”? These thoughts may feel completely true when you experience them. However, sometimes the mind creates a general rule from one or two painful experiences. In psychology, this thinking pattern is known as Overgeneralisation, a type of cognitive distortion.
What Is Overgeneralisation?
Overgeneralisation happens when a person takes one or a few experiences and applies them to a much larger group of people, situations, or future events.
For example, if someone was betrayed in a relationship, they may start believing, “I cannot trust anyone.” Similarly, after experiencing a frightening incident involving a particular person, someone may develop the belief that everyone is dangerous.
This is why people often ask, “Why do I think everyone is dangerous?” The thought may not come from their present situation alone. Previous experiences, observations, family beliefs, or stories heard from others can influence how the mind interprets new situations.
How Overgeneralisation Affects Relationships
These beliefs can quietly influence personal and social relationships.
Consider someone who believes that all women cheat. Even after marriage, a subconscious expectation of being betrayed may remain. A small, innocent situation can then become a reason to doubt the partner.
The same can happen when someone carries the belief, “Nobody wants me.” If a friend jokingly says, “Please go away and stop disturbing me,” the person may interpret the statement as proof that they are unwanted.
The problem is not always the event itself. The existing belief can determine how the person interprets the event.
How It Affects Career and Confidence
Overgeneralisation can also influence career decisions and self-confidence.
A person who repeatedly thinks, “Whatever I do, I will fail,” may eventually stop trying. Avoiding opportunities can then reduce learning and experience, which may further strengthen the original belief.
This can create a cycle:
Negative belief → avoidance → fewer opportunities → disappointing outcome → stronger negative belief
Breaking this cycle requires identifying the thinking pattern rather than accepting every thought as a fact.
Why Do I Think Everyone Is Dangerous?
The answer can be different for different people. Past betrayal, rejection, bullying, frightening experiences, family environment, repeated criticism, or observing negative experiences in others can contribute to generalised beliefs.
Sometimes the person does not recognise the belief as a problem because it feels like a protective rule: “If I trust nobody, nobody can hurt me.”
However, protecting yourself from every possible danger can also prevent healthy relationships and meaningful experiences.
Can Overgeneralisation Be Changed?
Yes. These patterns can change, particularly when a person learns to identify the original belief and examine the experiences that created it.
Instead of thinking, “Everyone is dangerous,” the person can learn to ask:
“What evidence do I have?”
“Is this true about everyone?”
“Am I judging the present based on the past?”
“What other explanations are possible?”
Changing the underlying belief can gradually change the way a person interprets people, relationships, and opportunities.
Our subconscious expectations can strongly influence our emotional responses and behaviour. Therefore, simply forcing yourself to “think positively” may not always be enough. Understanding where a belief came from and working through the experiences connected with it can be an important part of psychological change.
The goal is not to blindly trust everyone. The goal is to evaluate people and situations individually instead of allowing one experience to become a universal rule.