black-and-white thinking
nounUK /ˌblæk ən ˈwaɪt ˈθɪŋkɪŋ/
US /ˌblæk ən ˈwaɪt ˈθɪŋkɪŋ/
Thinking that sees things as only all good or all bad, with nothing in between.
His black-and-white thinking made him believe you were either his friend or his enemy.
OTHER MEANINGS
2. A habit of judging people or ideas as completely right or completely wrong.
Black-and-white thinking kept her from seeing any middle ground in the argument.
3. A simplified way of viewing a complex situation as having only two opposite sides.
The debate turned into black-and-white thinking, with no room for nuance.
4. A thinking style common in stress or anxiety that ignores shades of gray.
Under pressure, black-and-white thinking made every choice feel like life or death.