It’s what you say, how you say it and when you say it. It’s the little things, and the big ones. Every moment is critically analyzed with every outcome already considered. Every single word is fully heard, thought about and considered for what they may be worth. Not everyone does this. For some, things are taken at face-value and not too much extra is required to discover meaning. For others, it takes some critical thinking for them to achieve their desired meaning. For myself, and many others, there is a careful process involved in our daily interactions. Only we can really understand what’s going on in our minds (and sometimes even we can’t). Here are some of the things overthinkers do thanks to their complicated, yet wonderful minds.
There is no such thing as spontaneous.
While it may appear that our actions can be spontaneous, they are usually, and most likely, pre-calculated. It doesn’t always take a lot of time to decide what option is best for us, and once we learn what responses are most characteristic for us, or what will achieve the goal, we can comb through the options for the right one. This may sound silly, but once you’ve come to terms with the fact that you must consider all of the alternatives before proceeding, a pattern is developed and you may become more efficient.
Every little thing someone says is analyzed to a “T”.
This includes the amount of time between responses, the punctuation choices, and the amount of “y’s” at the end of a casual “hey” text message. It also includes the amount of time it takes to like a photo on Instagram or open and respond to a Snapchat. We are also guilty of re-reading and dissecting every detail of text conversations to make sense of the hints we may have missed. Social media and the digital revolution have been a burden for overthinkers, because when interaction isn’t face to face, there’s no telling what context people are trying to convey, or their tone. All of this is left to the imagination, and the possibilities are endless.
Every quote and song lyric is relatable.
Even if the direct quote doesn’t apply, there is always a metaphor to be found, and you will make it work. Overthinkers seem to have the analytical thinking skills of an elite philosopher, because there truly is so much more to be discovered if you just think about it long and hard enough.
There is always more to it.
Whether people are sharing opinions, feelings, or personal experience, it seems there is no shortage of deeper thinking in the mind of an overthinker. While not everyone thinks the same way we do, there should be more meaning behind what they are saying, and if they do not say so, we will think about it until we can discover something for ourselves, even if it’s not close to the truth. What do we know, they didn’t tell us everything they were thinking.
“Goodnight” does not mean you’re falling asleep.
For many overthinkers, bedtime is a reflection period. Depending on how actively our minds are analyzing the day we just had, it can take hours to fall asleep, regardless of how tired we are. The conversations we had, the people we met, and the choices we made all come to a climax in our minds by nightfall. We often fall asleep in the tangled web of unfinished thoughts, waking up to a new day with so many new experiences to overthink.
It’s difficult to keep up with your own mind when you’re an overthinker. It can be a positive or negative attribute, but all you can do is embrace the ability your mind has to not only take note of every detail, but also to make sense of it.