I spent years trying to “turn my brain off.”
Therapy, yoga, meditation, breathing exercises, self-help books… all in the name of “silencing my mind.” The truth was, I was anxious. And overthinking, apparently, was the problem.
But the truth is, I’d never really understood how overthinking hurt me. I only ever came to that conclusion after friends, family, and even professionals insisted I needed to think less hard about things.
This generated a new kind of stress—the kind that arises from trying to override your internal programming. Suddenly, I was a loose bolt in society’s machinery. I was too far-fetched, complicated, or frustrating to fit in.
I’d always felt like an outsider, and this confirmed why.
I was a chronic overthinker.
Of course, overthinking takes many forms. Some people spiral into worst-case scenarios or freeze up in the face of decisions. I’ve been there too—task paralysis, procrastination, analysis fatigue…
The kind I’m talking about here isn’t fear-based. It’s meaning-based. It’s the compulsion to go deeper. To never accept the surface answer. To feel every emotion fully and ask every question twice.
And after years of trying to ‘cure’ my newfound diagnosis, my overthinking (which had never really gone away) led me down a new train of thought:
The greatest minds in all of history processed reality on a different level than others. Plato, Socrates, Confucius, Newton, Einstein… If I’d lived in a time when overthinking wasn’t considered a problem, maybe I’d be praised for it, instead.
That’s when I decided to try something more fun—and far more interesting: rebel.
Not All Fish Are Meant to Swim Near the Sun
My overthinking wasn’t the problem. Others’ failure to even attempt to understand high-level ideas, was the problem. Just because I was outnumbered didn’t mean I was outranked.
My overthinking trait held value. It made me who I am.
I started seeing it not as a flaw, but as a form of depth. I loved to think deeply and find beautiful meaning in things. What in the hell could be wrong with that?
I used this tool to become more emotionally intelligent. More self-aware. More creatively sharp.
I even started to find joy in being misunderstood. Every now and then, I’d meet someone who did understand me. And that kind of connection? It’s rare. It’s powerful. And I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
The problem was never the overthinking itself.
It was the social pressure to be “easier,” quieter, or more agreeable. Nowadays, I’ve learned to stop apologizing for my depth. I don’t seek quantity in my social life—only quality. And that’s taken a surprising amount of pressure off.
This article—and my entire Overthinking series—is for people like me. People who’ve been told they think too much, feel too much, analyze too much.
I’m here to say: maybe you don’t. Maybe you’re on to something.
Overthinking is Not a Diagnosis, It’s a Unique Trait.
The concept of ‘overthinking’ is often treated like a mental health issue, even when it isn’t inherently harmful.
There’s a difference between thinking deeply and spiraling, or between analyzing meaning and fabricating doom.
True anxiety is when your thoughts distort reality: finding danger where there is none, creating imaginary consequences, or convincing yourself something’s wrong or impossible when it isn’t.
When others label your depth as dysfunction, they’re not just misreading you, they may be projecting their discomfort with complexity onto you.
If your overthinking genuinely causes distress, by all means—seek professional help. I support that completely.
But if it doesn’t? Don’t let your friends, family, or even professionals convince you it’s a problem just because they wouldn’t choose to live that way.
Your overthinking isn’t the issue—it’s simply evidence that you think more deeply than most.
The Intellectual Legacy of Overthinking
Some of the world’s most influential minds were obsessive, divergent, and constantly lost in thought.
And the result? A legacy to which we all owe our modern comfort.
Innovation. Creativity. Science. Systems. Philosophy. Technology.
Much of it was born not from surface-level thinking, but from rumination—from minds that couldn’t let go until the truth unfolded.
Today, we might call that overthinking.
But in another time, it was called genius—or at the very least, depth.
So ask yourself:
- Could your overthinking be a byproduct of brilliance?
- Or perhaps, is it a signal that you’re simply more present than most—aware of the weight of things others let pass by?
What if your goal wasn’t to quiet your mind, but to channel it?
Not to shut it down, but to re-direct it toward meaningful contributions, original insights, or creative breakthroughs?
Because it’s incredible what you can achieve when you stop apologizing for your mind, and start using it to build your own intellectual or creative legacy.
How Embracing Overthinking Changed Everything
Once I accepted my mind for what it was, even romanticized it, I tapped into something truly powerful:
- Creative Vision. Now that I use overthinking productively, rather than suppressing it, I think more intentionally about what I do and how I do it. My writing has grown more poetic, my work more purposeful, and my vision more artistic.
- Emotional Mastery. I spend time in deep self-reflection. What I once saw as a setback or roadblock, I now interpret as an opportunity for growth. If something bothers me, I ask why—because often, it’s my perception that needs adjusting. That awareness gives me an emotional edge over my past self.
- Selective Belonging. The most liberating shift came from no longer seeking the approval of people who dismissed my way of thinking. Disagreement is one thing—disrespect is another. I stopped asking, “Why don’t I fit in?” and started asking, “Who’s worth letting in?”
Once I began using overthinking to master these three areas, my anxiety started to lift.
I was never the problem. Trying to change myself was.
A Different Kind of Mind Deserves a Different Life
By all means, I invite you to try to shift the perspective and view your overthinking as a superpower—a tool that transcends generations by challenging the status quo.
Build a life that supports depth instead of blocking it. Invite other overthinkers, or accepting minds, into your life. Celebrate your gift.
Embark on a journey of fulfillment, clarity, better work, and better relationships. Be unapologetic.
You were never “overthinking.” You were simply thinking on a higher level. Perhaps a higher dimension—one where depth is the default, not the exception.
You aren’t broken. You were built for more.
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