So I am pretty confident in my thinking skills. But I was made aware of my overthinking and that it actually was not truly that. Here’s why:
First of all, I would like to think that the audience here knows what thinking is and how to do it. Maybe an error here and there but hopefully we’re keeping a decent record of ‘good thinking’. Smart thinking. Not ignorant thinking which is basically thinking you know more than you actually do. Which is also dangerous thinking.
Overthinking is dangerous thinking, also. But, while it is called overthinking, this is actually repeatedly believing and feeding a thought that is untrue or damaging in some way to you, generally not physical in nature.
This could be things like catastrophizing an event in your own mind. Imagining things that could not happen or unlikely to happen in turn stressing yourself out. ‘Overthinking could also include second guessing past decisions, worrying about worst case scenarios, over analyzing a simple text message….this list can go on forever.
In stoic philosophy, it’s called ‘assenting to impressions’. Impressions being the intangible things that appear in your mind like thoughts, feelings, worries, etc.
So, impression: “This webpost is not going to draw any new readers and everyone else is going to think it sucks!”
Assent: “Yep, that’s true.”
Result: Worry, anxiety, or overthinking.
You Guessed it-Awareness
At the end of the day, the name of the game again is awareness. Its NOT identifying with a reckless thought and believing it…over and over again.
You can further that education one step further and say, just don’t identify with your thoughts. Any of them. Because you are NOT your thoughts. You are the one listening to said thoughts. But to be honest, you should be to see the contrast between your thoughts and yourself easily. If you are indeed aware.