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ArchiveJuly 30, 2026
Case File · Distortion · No. 012

Daily Casefile · Distortion

The Unreturned Wave

6 min

Read the monologue below and decide: which single thinking pattern does this person's reasoning show — and which phrase gives it away? This is a puzzle, not a diagnosis or advice. The person and situation are entirely invented.

The scene

A neighbour who didn't wave back

In the differential

  • Mental filtering
  • Personalisation
  • Catastrophising
  • Overgeneralisation
  • Emotional reasoning
  • No distortion — a reasonable reaction

Play today’s Distortion.

This case first aired on July 30, 2026. A fresh distortion runs every morning — same rules, five minutes, one solution.