Black and white thinking, also known as all-or-nothing thinking or dichotomous thinking, is a common cognitive pattern in autistic individuals.
It’s characterized by an inclination to perceive situations, ideas, or beliefs in absolute terms, without recognizing middle ground or shades of gray. This can be likened to seeing the world in black and white, with no other colors present.
While black and white thinking is not unique to autism, it is a frequently observed characteristic among autistic individuals.
Dr. Lucy Russell, a clinical psychologist, affirms that “the cognitive pattern of black and white thinking is a very common trait of autistic people”.
This thinking style can profoundly influence how autistic individuals navigate their daily lives, impacting their relationships, decision-making processes, and overall well-being.
How does black and white thinking manifest?
Some common characteristics and examples of black-and-white thinking in autism include:
Rigid routines and “one right way” to do things
An autistic person might insist on doing a task the exact same way every time and believe any other way is incorrect.
For instance, a child may only accept one specific morning routine or route to school. If forced to change, they feel the whole day is “ruined” because it didn’t go the “right” way.
All-or-nothing self-evaluation
Anything less than perfect might be seen as a failure. An autistic student might consider a 97% score on a quiz as a complete failure because it’s not a 100%.
Similarly, if they make one mistake in a day, they may declare “I had a terrible day,” ignoring any good things that happened.
Binary judgments of people and relationships
Autistic individuals might label people as either all good or all bad. A friend who was kind yesterday but is brusque today could suddenly be seen as “not a friend anymore.”
One autistic teenager shared that if he got into an argument with a friend, he immediately felt the friendship was over and struggled to understand that disagreements can be temporary.
There is often no middle status like “we’re having a rough patch but we’re still friends.”
Literal interpretation of rules and fairness
Many autistic people have a strong sense of justice and fairness, reinforced by black-and-white thinking. They may expect everyone to strictly follow stated rules and social norms.
If someone (even an authority figure) behaves unfairly, the autistic person finds it intolerable or baffling.
For example, one autistic adult recalls being completely confused in school upon seeing a teacher bully a student.
In his black-and-white logic, teachers are supposed to be respectful, so if a teacher was mean, how could students still be expected to respect any teacher?
Difficulty with ambiguous communication
Because of literal thinking, autistic individuals might struggle with sarcasm, jokes, or “white lies,” which exist in a gray area between truth and fiction.
One autistic person gave an example from his life: as a teenager, he tried using sarcasm by saying “Yeah, right,” in response to a classmate (intending humor). But because he delivered it in a flat tone without the expected wink or inflection, the classmate took offense.
He was following what he thought was a rule (“people say this sarcastically, so I will too”), but he learned that social meaning isn’t so black-and-white – tone and context matter, which was a nuance he had to consciously grasp.
Challenges and Impact of Black and White Thinking
While black and white thinking can offer advantages in certain situations, it often presents significant challenges for autistic individuals.
These challenges can manifest in various aspects of life, impacting social interactions, emotional regulation, and overall well-being.
Difficulty with unexpected changes
One of the primary challenges is difficulty with change and unexpected situations .
When things are rigidly categorized, adapting to new circumstances or deviations from routines can be extremely stressful.
This inflexibility can lead to meltdowns, anxiety, and difficulty coping with transitions.
Social challenges
Autistic individuals may struggle to understand the nuances of social interactions, misinterpreting cues or taking things literally.
This can lead to misunderstandings, conflicts, and difficulty forming and maintaining relationships.
Many autistic people often struggle with making and maintaining friendships due to black and white thinking.
Emotional challenges
This thinking style can impact emotional regulation. Minor setbacks might be perceived as catastrophic events, while positive experiences can lead to overwhelming joy.
This intensity of emotions can be challenging to manage and may contribute to anxiety and mood swings.
Perfectionism
In some cases, black and white thinking can contribute to perfectionism. The tendency to see things as either perfect or a complete failure can lead to intense anxiety and frustration when things don’t go exactly as planned.
This can make it difficult to complete tasks, start new projects, or accept constructive criticism.
For example, one piece of “negative” feedback on an assignment might make the autistic person scrap the entire thing and start over.
Are There Any Instances Where Black and White Thinking is a Positive Thing?
While often presented as a challenge, black and white thinking can also be a source of strength for autistic individuals.
Dr. Lucy Russell emphasizes the potential advantages of this thinking style:
“Whilst this thinking pattern may create difficulties in some situations, it can also be an advantage in other contexts. It is not always a bad thing. For example, black and white thinkers can often make quick decisions in situations where there is a clear right or wrong answer.”
The ability to categorize information rigidly can also contribute to hyperfocus, allowing autistic individuals to concentrate intensely on their interests or tasks, leading to significant achievements in those areas.
Furthermore, black and white thinking can be linked to a strong sense of justice and fairness, driving autistic individuals to advocate for what they believe is right and stand up against injustice.
This unwavering commitment to principles can be a powerful force for positive change.
Black and white thinking can also contribute to clear and direct communication, which can be valuable in various settings.
This straightforward communication style can foster transparency and understanding, particularly in situations where ambiguity or indirectness might lead to confusion.
Why is Black and White Thinking Common in Autistic People?
From a psychological perspective, black-and-white thinking in autism is often rooted in how the autistic brain handles information and uncertainty.
Here are some insights into why this pattern occurs and why it may differ among individuals:
Intolerance of Uncertainty
Research and clinical observations show that many autistic people have a low tolerance for uncertainty or ambiguity.
The world is full of uncertain situations – social interactions, change in plans, unclear expectations – which can be very stressful.
In response, an autistic person might develop a habit of categorizing things rigidly as a coping mechanism. If everything can be labeled clearly as “good or bad,” “safe or unsafe,” it leaves less uncertainty to grapple with.
Cognitive Rigidity / Need for sameness
A well-known aspect of autism is a preference for routines and sameness. Neurologically, this is sometimes described as cognitive rigidity, meaning difficulty in shifting thinking or adapting to new perspectives.
If someone’s brain is “wired” to stick to one thought track, they will be more prone to all-or-nothing thinking simply because it’s hard to mentally switch to an alternative view.
While that can be a gift, it might also mean they create very detailed rules or mental categories – and once those are set, it’s challenging to break out of them and see a broader picture.
Literal and concrete thinking
Many autistic individuals are literal thinkers, especially in childhood. They may interpret language and concepts very concretely.
This can feed black-and-white thinking because abstract or figurative ideas (like “sometimes X, sometimes Y” or “a little bit of both”) don’t come naturally. They tend to prefer clear, concrete definitions.
Social communication differences
Autistic people often have trouble reading between the lines in social situations. They might miss body language cues or context that soften an interaction, so they perceive things in a more black-or-white way.
For instance, if a peer makes a teasing joke, a neurotypical might tell by tone that “it’s just teasing,” but an autistic person might only register the words (which could sound harsh) and think “he was mean to me.”
Each autistic individual has different levels of social understanding, so this aspect of black-and-white thinking also varies individually.
Managing Black-and-White Thinking: Strategies and Coping Techniques
Autistic individuals can use various strategies to make black-and-white thinking more manageable.
The goal isn’t to erase this trait – remember, it’s part of how someone thinks and it also has benefits – but rather to introduce flexibility and balance.
This helps prevent the negative effects (like anxiety and conflict) while preserving the positive ones (like clarity and honesty). Here are some practical approaches:
Build Self-Awareness of the Pattern
Try to notice the words you use with yourself and others – do you often say “always, never, completely, totally, perfect, ruined”? These can be clues.
For example, if you catch yourself thinking “I completely blew that presentation,” pause and check that thought.
Was it really a complete disaster, or were there some good parts and some parts to improve?
Simply being aware – “I might be doing that all-or-nothing thing again” – gives you a chance to reframe the situation more realistically.
Introduce “Gray” Gradually
Deliberately practice thinking in terms of degrees instead of absolutes. One technique is to use a rating scale for experiences or feelings.
Let’s say you feel like “Today was awful.” Challenge yourself to rate the day from 1 to 10 instead. You might realize, “Well, it was mostly a 4 (not great), but had a couple of 7 moments when I enjoyed lunch and a video game.”
This simple exercise forces your brain to see that multiple truths (good and bad moments) existed together.
Visual aids like a color gradient or a thermometer image can also make this concrete – imagine your opinion sliding somewhere between two extremes, not at one pole or the other.
Practice “Both/And” Thinking
A helpful mental habit is to replace “either/or” statements with “both/and” statements.
For instance, rather than thinking “Either I succeed or I fail,” you might practice saying, “I both had success and made some mistakes.”
It may sound a bit forced, but literally using the words “both” and “and” in your self-talk can reframe your perspective.
Life is full of these mixed truths. Practicing this style of thinking in low-stakes scenarios (like fictional stories or hypothetical situations) can make it easier when you face real emotional situations.
Perspective-Taking Exercises
Try to intentionally see a situation through someone else’s eyes. This can be challenging, but also fun and enlightening.
If you had an argument and your mind is saying “They were totally wrong,” pause and attempt to narrate the other person’s side: “Okay, what might they be thinking? Why might they feel they were right?”
You don’t have to immediately agree with them, but just recognizing that another perspective exists breaks the all-or-nothing bubble.
Some autistic individuals find it useful to consume stories (books, movies) that highlight different perspectives or moral dilemmas, then discuss them with someone. It’s a safe way to practice seeing multiple viewpoints.
In a more playful sense, even guessing what strangers are thinking (like people in a park: “What do you think that family on the bench is talking about?”) can exercise the muscle of considering various possibilities rather than just one interpretation of what you see.
Celebrate Exceptions and “In-Betweens”
When you do catch yourself understanding a grey area or handling something in a flexible way, give yourself credit.
It’s not easy to change a thinking habit, so acknowledge the wins. For example, if you normally would think you failed if you didn’t finish a task, but this time you tell yourself “It’s okay, I made progress,” that’s a huge step.
Some people literally label this as “embracing the gray” and treat themselves to a small reward or share the moment with someone supportive, to reinforce that this more balanced thinking has positive outcomes (like less stress, or a conflict resolved).
Mindfulness and Pausing
Mindfulness techniques can be very helpful in dealing with intense black-and-white thoughts or emotions.
Techniques like deep breathing, counting to ten, or short meditation can create a small space between the thought and your reaction.
In that space, you can remind yourself, “This is how I feel right now, but maybe it isn’t 100% true in reality. I’ll let the feeling exist without acting on it immediately.”
For instance, if you get an email that triggers you (maybe a critical comment from a colleague and you think “They hate my work, I’m a failure”), resist the urge to shoot off a resignation letter or a defensive reply. Instead, step away, breathe, and come back later when the intense feelings have settled.
Embrace Your Strengths (Don’t “Overcorrect”)
Finally, remember that the goal is balance, not to completely change who you are. It’s okay to have a black-and-white thinking style; you’re learning to add nuance, not lose your clarity.
Make sure to appreciate the positive sides of how your mind works. Maybe you have an eye for detail, or you’re exceptionally honest, or you stick firmly to your morals – these are wonderful traits.
By acknowledging these strengths, you can approach change from a place of confidence (“I have good qualities that come from my thinking style”) rather than feeling like you’re “wrong” or “broken.” You’re not – you are adding more tools to your toolbox.
Some autistic adults say that once they learned flexibility, they felt they had “the best of both worlds”: they could still be true to their black-and-white principles when it mattered and adapt when the situation called for it.
