Personalizing is thinking that anything that goes wrong is automatically your fault. Not only is this a form of narcissism, but it's liable to make you feel terrible in almost any situation. If you take this type of thinking too far, you can get paranoid and think that no one likes you or wants to hang out with you, and that every little move you make is going to disappoint someone.[2]
•This is the way someone who is used to absorbing people's feelings thinks. You may think, "Betty didn't smile at me this morning. I must have done something to upset her." However, it's most likely that Betty was just having a bad day; you'll only get frustrated if you think of what you could have done to hurt her.
•Be rational. Slow down and think of all the other reasons a negative situation might happen. For example, think about Betty as an individual outside of yourself -- you may remember that Betty's favorite pet died over the weekend or that she's going through a tough breakup. This will make you see that her reaction had nothing to do with you.