Mind Reading happens when we assume we know what others are thinking — usually something critical or negative about us — without any direct evidence. You saw an expression and immediately filled in a whole verdict about your worth. In reality, your manager may have been processing the numbers, thinking about a question to ask, or dealing with something entirely unrelated to you.

This pattern is especially common after high-stakes moments. The mind wants certainty, so it invents a story. The cost is that you start responding to a story — not reality.