Judgement or Fact?
Separate what happened from what your mind added
When emotions run high, your brain can turn an interpretation into something that feels like a fact.
This tool helps you pause and separate:
- What actually happened
- What you think it means
- What you feel because of that interpretation
Facts describe what you can observe. Judgments add meaning, assumptions, opinions, or predictions.
Can You Spot the Difference?
Read the statement and decide: Fact or Judgment.
✖ A Judgment
Judgments = the meaning, assumptions, opinions, predictions, or beliefs you add on top of a fact. Loaded with emotion.
"This rainy day is miserable."
✔ A Fact
Facts = what you can observe or verify. It's neutral — no opinion or emotion.
"It is raining outside."
You Just Separated Fact From Story
You practised noticing the difference between what happened and what your mind added.
Remember
Your emotions are real. The goal isn't to argue with how you feel. It's to separate what happened from what you think it means.
Why This Tool Works
Your brain has two modes: thinking and reacting. When emotions spike, you slip into reacting mode. In that state, your mind doesn't check the facts — it fills in the blanks with fear, assumptions, and old stories.
You don't notice it happening.
A judgment suddenly feels like reality.
A thought feels like a fact.
This tool is an eye-opener.
It helps you see that your inner critic isn't always telling the truth.
By separating the event from the meaning you added, you give your thinking mode a chance to switch back on.
And that tiny pause changes everything.
Judgment Clues
- Predicting what will happen
- Assuming what someone else thinks
- Using "always", "never", "maybe" or "probably"
- Turning one event into a conclusion about yourself
Ask Yourself
- What am I assuming?
- What else could this mean?
- What do I know for certain?
- What do I actually know happened?