The Surprising Benefits Of Overthinking
If you’re a classic overthinker, you analyze everything that happens in your life. You mull over every decision until you’re exhausted. You even brood about your tendency to brood.
Well, here’s good news to ruminate on — there are benefits to overthinking, according to a paper in “Trends in Cognitive Science.” Brooding may be connected to creativity.
The act of overthinking is often associated with anxiety; indeed, it isn’t unusual for a person to possess both traits. Though the two “conditions” are rarely mutually exclusive, the “symptoms” are not always the same.
The notion of overthinking is often deemed as a hindrance to personal growth, but not everybody believes this is the case. Thinking on its own is very normal, very human practice, so overthinking must have some beneficial use in society. Today we are asking why has it gained such a bad reputation, and what are the benefits of being a deep thinker.
#1 Creative Geniuses
Researchers at King’s College in London discovered that people who worry a lot are more likely to be creative geniuses!
Dr Perkins says:
“Cheerful, happy-go-lucky people by definition do not brood about problems and so must be at a disadvantage when problem-solving compared to a more neurotic person. We have a useful sanity check for our theory because it is easy to observe that many geniuses seem to have a brooding, unhappy tendency that hints they are fairly high on the neuroticism spectrum. For example, think of the life stories of Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, Vincent Van Gogh, Kurt Cobain, etc. Perhaps the link between creativity and neuroticism was summed up most succinctly of all by John Lennon when he said: 'Genius is a pain."
#2 Problem-Solver
Over-thinker may also mean you’re a creative problem-solver.In a crisis situation, an over-thinker would be more prepared than a carefree person.When overthinkers observe a problem in their external environment, they possess a unique ability to turn inwards and find a solution.
According to Adam Perkins:
“Imagine there is someone who is daydreaming a lot and has a lot of inner thoughts. If those inner thoughts are about a particular problem [that person is] going to be coming up with [creative] solutions to particular problems.”
#3 Observational Skills
When overthinkers harness their attention, it’s an incredibly powerful thing. They are more capable of noticing minor details than those who are more happy-go-lucky.
Consider this snippet from an article published by Business Insider:
Steve Jobs was a true obsessive.
He pored over every tiny detail of every product, every ad, every store, everything related to Apple.
This observation skill makes over-thinkers ideal for certain careers such as scientific researchers, designers, occupational therapists, teachers, and much more.
#4 Future Prediction
They are fantastic analysts and can be great at giving advice.Their intuition gives them the ability predict outcomes of events based on information they have gathered over time.
#5 Academic Success
An overthinker can achieve tremendous academic success.
Albert Einstein may be considered history’s greatest mind. But what many people do not know is that Einstein was an obsessive overthinker. He could not think about the phenomenon that is a beam of light. Eventually, due to his obsession, Einstein discovered the theory of relativity – the universally-recognized equation E=MC².
“(This) anxiety…is undoubtedly toxic in the wrong circumstances, but is also the greatest tool of the scholar.”
#6 Always Prepared
By predicting every possible scenario they are always prepared for any situation. For this reason, they’d make excellent project managers.
#7 Conclusion
Overthinkers can be their own best friend or worst enemy. Within everyone who overthinks is tremendous potential.
Whether or not this potential is realised depends, more or less, on one of two things:
(1) the individual realises this potential, or
(2) someone sees and convinces the person of their giftedness.
Alexander Graham Bell may have said it best:
“Concentrate all your thoughts upon the work at hand. The sun’s rays do not burn until brought into a focus.”
