That's one of the other "mistakes" according to cognitive therapy: all-or-nothing thinking. I'm glad it's working for you. I think the key word in your comment is "learning". Like almost everything, the way we think is a result of habit and that's good and bad news. Bad because habits are difficult to change, but good because they can be changed.

Cognitive therapy isn't just for for people experiencing difficulties, I'd highly recommend it to anyone interested in self improvement. Hackers especially I think would find it interesting because it's almost like a set of hacks for your mind. Two books in particular I'd recommend to anyone who might be interested:

- "Feeling Good: the new mood therapy" by David Burns

- "The guide to rational living" by Albert Ellis

Somewhere on the web there's also a fascinating video of a talk between the Dalai Lama and Aaron T Beck (considered to be one of the founding fathers of cognitive therapy along with Albert Ellis). It's surprising how similar cognitive therapy is to some types of Buddhist meditation