Do you know someone who thinks too much?

 So You Think Too Much?—Really?

About  three weeks ago...and about. Once every month or so, someone remarks usually pointed at me—“You think too much.”  From. Now on I believe I’ll respond to that  by saying “Wow that’s interesting—I’ll have to think about  that.”   

I’ll say that because I did  think about that for a bit and  the thoughts below are  my pondering.   as in earlier posts this week—I don’t  know yet how convinced I am  of some of these thoughts (and after you read this you may be thinking/saying “he thinks too much.”  

Let’s start with the “Too Much” Part

Clearly seeking peace and joy  requires some balance between  forming meaning through experiences and  actually having the experiences as the result of decisions.  Oh and let’s add in taking personal responsibility  for the experiences just for good measure.  Well from. A curious. Mind the  question emerges... how much is too much?—this leads to three  more questions.

Can one really think too much?  —Well  if we only use. About 10% of our brain as humans I’m pretty sure we are in no danger of overthinking anything.   So a a preliminary  response I would say —get back to me when  we are going  at least half-throttle  with our noggins.  More on this in a minute.

Do we all “think” the same?—Do we all take in information, process it, store it, and let the world know we. Have retained it in the same way?   A quick look at social media, cable news,printed literature, the history of music, art, and religion sort of indicate that we don’t all think the same—which leads to. Question 3.

Who decides  what is too much?

My observations are these...  When someone tells you  that you are thinking too much there are a number of possible  reasons—not many of them have to do with thinking.   

Many times someone tells you  that you are thinking too much when you have  had the courage to share  the fact that you don’t know enough about something to decide something and you are courageous  enough to share your  thoughts out loud.   Now the  person telling you. That you are thinking  too much will usually tell you. Whether or not it’s out of concern for you or not.  If they follow up that statement with. “You need to just trust your  instincts because they have been. Good so far—they are probably. Trying to  be supportive and  want to. Solve your. Apparent  frustration .   On the other hand if they demonstrate frustration while you are thinking it’s  a power move, a move to say “I don’t understand  you and what  is worth thinking more about here.”  You see  they don’t  really mind how much you think as much as they wonder why you don’t think the same things in the same ways  as they do.   In short they. Are telling you it’s not valuable for you to be curious about this anymore or anyway.  In short, prolonged curiosity bothers them to some— and usually a large—degree.  

Okay now back to “thinking the same?”   

Is there only one type of  beer, pizza, perfume, music?   If not, then we probably don’t all think, feel,  or act the same and never have...oh and if you are a curious soul that makes the world  so much richer.  Back to the thinking... If thinking is a pre-acting activity then there’s a couple reasons why most people would get acused of doing too much of it.   Other people think you have had enough time and information  to decide how to act... or you are not acting. In the way they want.  

Level of commitment  Needed

Another reason. That. Thinking continues is that. A person is still evaluating  possibilities.  Now... this happens for two reasons... the first is simple—the thinker hasn’t  figured out or committed to the matching of actions to values so the process of rationalizing these actions by thinking them through or crystallizing  a tentative choice is not complete.  Ironically, thinking  is usually  not the barrier to peace and joy. In this instance.  It’s that. A person hasn’t. Internally or externally  had time to solidify the emotional  support needed to act... in short it has nothing to do with  thinking it has to do with feeling... it has to do with fear berating out curiousity... So if you personally feel like you think  too much. About one or more things ask yourself “what am I afraid of and see what happens.   

Generally soon after you do this. You will find the emotional  support needed to act or not act in any case the  thinking  

It’s not really thinking .... it’s feeling..

Another. Sticking point here is that while people may claim. Or you may tell yourselfit’s too much thinking... it may not be thinking per se at all.  Empathy is a strange thing... If you experience empathy  a lot you can find. Yourself b ring curios as to how. Something might impact others.  So you. Spend some time  getting in touch with various ways other people may be. Bringing meaning to  an experience you are sharing.  In recent times  less and less social value has been placed upon empathy and if you openly ezxpress  ideas that reflect you are thinking. Things through from a variety of perspectives, you are likely to be publicly scorned for doing  so.   

so—to sum this up.. 

Think too much?  —doubtful.

think the same as everyone els? Or is there a need to?—Incredibly Unlikely.

Is thinking tied to emotions such a s fear and curiosity?  —definitely

Is there help if you think you are thinking too much????

LOL—Takje time to understand  your. Values and the range of behaviors that  demonstrate lthem.  Know that if you  act accordingly you will be using your gifts to make your best effort at the time.   Understand  that you think the way you do and it has worked for you so far in most cases.   When someone tells you that you. Are thinking too much stop  that train  by slowly saying  to yourself or them... “well  would you rather  have people not thinking enough? Or more useful..remember the old junior high ploy of telling someone they  are blinking too much... 

In short reflect upon  your good decisions and follow. That lead and if that doesn’t  work throw  on your lab coat and safety goggles and experiment. With your life until you find a different flow that works.   

If you have to. Say I don’t. Know yet... then do so because when you know you know and you’ll know it.  

One more  “I don’t know entry left... probably  in a couple days ..I have some more thinking to do. About it first. —smile!attern will change.