What is binary thinking?

Binary thinking, also known as black or white thinking, involves viewing situations as being either entirely good or entirely bad, completely true or completely false, with no middle ground. This type of thinking simplifies complex issues into an all-or-nothing mindset, which can be problematic. For example, people often categorize political bills as wholly beneficial or entirely detrimental, ignoring the nuanced mix of positives and negatives they actually contain. Despite our natural inclination towards binary thinking, driven by evolutionary biases, we can learn to adopt more nuanced perspectives 1.