Through the filters, we tend to do three different things with the information:

• We can delete and dismiss it, or certain parts of the information in an attempt to contain all the information we’re receiving. We quite literally focus on what we think is important, despite the actual reality.

• We could also distort it, through typical irrational views, like making something worse than it sounds or overreacting, for example.

• And we can generalise the information, by thinking the same thing every time. For instance, “We did this before, and it went wrong. It’ll go wrong again…” When we link experiences and memories to a generalised view, then we’re normally and irrationally assuming it will always be this way.