Thinking is important, but 'overthinking' is a problem
The process of thinking, such as making plans, revising plans, analyzing results, and reflecting on them, is important in both everyday life and in business. However, mental health counselor Leon Gerber points out that 'overthinking' can actually cause a variety of problems.
Overthinking Isn't as Helpful as You Think | Psychology Today
According to Gerber, thinking plays an important role in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), a form of psychotherapy that improves thinking and behavioral patterns. In fact, positive daydreaming can improve your mental state by making you feel at ease, happy, and positive. Research has shown that even negative psychological states such as anger and regret can lead to positive results if you think appropriately.
Is it okay not to think positively? Experts say negative feelings such as anger and regret can have unexpected benefits - GIGAZINE
But thinking can be hard to control, and many people fall into a category known as 'overthinking,' Gerber says. Overthinking is a perfectionist-like mindset where people think they're smarter than they need to be, or believe they can get smarter if they just make an effort to think hard enough.
'Overthinking inadvertently fuels your perception of yourself and does little to actually improve your ability to protect yourself,' says Gerber. 'Overthinking makes you feel smarter than you actually are and life more predictable than it actually is.'
On top of that, Gerber lists four points to keep in mind when thinking carefully.
1: No matter how much data you have, you need to accept that mistakes can and will happen.
2: We should separate the belief that an idea is right or wrong from the belief that we are smart or stupid. Smart people understand that they make mistakes often and don't spend a lot of time trying to prevent them. Most people make mistakes and feel stupid, but that's emotional reasoning and a cognitive distortion.
3: When you are unable to avoid something bad happening even after careful consideration, it is a good idea to ask yourself whether it was something that only you could not have predicted, or whether other people could not have predicted it either.
4: Overthinking means taking on a level of responsibility you don't really want. The mindset of 'always having to be right' means living with chronic anxiety. By admitting the errors in your self-perception, you can start enjoying different aspects of life that you may have missed because of overthinking.
However, thinking is not a waste of time. According to Garber, negative bias is often misplaced and the probability of thinking being correct may not be as low as you think. The problem is when you place too much importance on thinking, you may fall into a cycle of bad thinking and not be able to see other important things. Therefore, Garber argues that it is important to be 'humble.'
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