One who imagines the 'worst-case scenario' as something so completely horrific it borders on absurd. A 'catastrophist' usually starts by saying "Yeah but what if..." then, talking at a normal speed, increases speed until they're talking very quickly as they relate their vision of the 'worst-case scenario' which may involve any (or all) of the following things: A psycho with an axe, getting chopped up into little pieces, ending up homeless and destitute, sucking dick for crack, any number of serious diseases or medical afflictions (See Chuck Palahniuk's "Choke" the main character had catastrophist tendancies)
see also "final destinationism" (yet to be defined)
see also "final destinationism" (yet to be defined)
"Dude, it's one stupid term-paper"
"Yeah but if I don't do well on this one then my GPA falls and I'll never get into a good college and I won't get a good job and that will DEVASTATE my mother and she'll commit suicide and I'll have to take care of my little brother and he'll get Lupus, need a kidney and I will be forced to sell my ass on the street because I can't afford the surgery because I don't have health-care all because I failed this stupid paper!"
"Stop being such a catastrophist, it's not even worth 10% of your grade!!!"
"Yeah but if I don't do well on this one then my GPA falls and I'll never get into a good college and I won't get a good job and that will DEVASTATE my mother and she'll commit suicide and I'll have to take care of my little brother and he'll get Lupus, need a kidney and I will be forced to sell my ass on the street because I can't afford the surgery because I don't have health-care all because I failed this stupid paper!"
"Stop being such a catastrophist, it's not even worth 10% of your grade!!!"
by jaci_b October 12, 2007
Get the catastrophist mug.Being a catastrophist, Benji’s mother imagined her son falling through the glass table every time he tried to climb on It.
by Pumpkin123 May 10, 2018
Get the Catastrophist mug.A person who believes that they are better then others, but also believe that they are also the worst at everything.
Yeah I think that I have NCCD (narcissistic conceited catastrophist disorder) .
Yeah that kid Isaac says he has NCCD (narcissistic conceited catastrophist disorder).
Yeah that kid Isaac says he has NCCD (narcissistic conceited catastrophist disorder).
by The Goat 16 December 14, 2021
Get the narcissistic conceited catastrophist disorder mug.An event or product that attracts so much interest and attention that it exceeds its own sustaining capacity, resulting in the inability of the organization to respond to demand.
The new product was such a hit that the store ran out, resulting in angry crowds destroying the mall. It was a catastrophic success for the company.
by ohlms March 10, 2009
Get the catastrophic success mug.A psychotherapeutic term for a cognitive distortion where anxiety or depression leads you to infer apocalyptic conclusions from mundane setbacks and anxieties.
Catastrophizing usually comes in a litany of steps that start from a mundane setback all the way to absolute existential hoplessness. For instance:
1. Oh no, I'm going to be late for work.
2. My boss is going to be angry.
3. I'm going to lose my job.
4. I'm not going to be able to get another one.
5. I'm going to be unemployed forever.
6. My family will starve.
7. Oh God, we're all going to die!!!
Each step in the sequence is arguably plausible, but the snowball effect takes it into the realms of absurdity after a while.
1. Oh no, I'm going to be late for work.
2. My boss is going to be angry.
3. I'm going to lose my job.
4. I'm not going to be able to get another one.
5. I'm going to be unemployed forever.
6. My family will starve.
7. Oh God, we're all going to die!!!
Each step in the sequence is arguably plausible, but the snowball effect takes it into the realms of absurdity after a while.
by The Logical Fallacy August 19, 2018
Get the Catastrophizing mug.by Dr Bunnygirl February 1, 2019
Get the catastrophilia mug.to hyper-imagine negative outcomes to a situation that have no basis in reality. to blow setbacks or problems out of proportion such that you sprial into an emotional catastrophe.
Joe sat, stuck in traffic, and he began to catastrophize missing delivering the perfect sales pitch, losing the commission that he planned to spend on his new outfit that he would wear to the club to meet the perfect girl. He fell into despair as he realized how pointless his life was because of the traffic.
by ballistickitten August 17, 2008
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