Which cognitive distortion is illustrated by the thought: "I feel like an idiot, so I really must be"?

The thought "I feel like an idiot, so I really must be" exemplifies emotional reasoning, which is a cognitive distortion where a person interprets their emotions as evidence of fact. In this case, the individual is using their feeling of being foolish as validation for that belief, suggesting that emotions alone dictate reality.

Emotional reasoning often leads individuals to draw conclusions based solely on their feelings rather than assessing the situation based on rational thought or evidence. This can perpetuate negative self-perceptions and hinder personal growth, as feelings may not accurately reflect reality.

Contextually, while the other options represent different cognitive distortions, they do not capture the essence of the thought presented. Disqualifying the positive refers to ignoring positive experiences, labeling/mislabeling involves assigning global labels to oneself or others, and personalization and blame relates to taking excessive responsibility for events beyond one's control. None of these distortions align with deriving conclusions from emotions, which is central to emotional reasoning.