[Neurons] FW: 2025 Neurons #43 THE MYSTERY OF OVER-THINKING

[Michael Hall]

From: L. Michael Hall

2025 Neurons #43

October 20, 2025

 

THE MYSTERY OF 

OVER-THINKING

 

There is a lot of talk these days about over-thinking.  The problem is that
there are numerous different meanings given to this term.  Whenever someone
starts with this as their problem, I always follow up by ask, "What are you
referring to when you use this term?  In what way are you over-thinking?
And what are you over-thinking?" 

 

One thing called over-thinking which is actually not over-thinking is
actually real thinking.  That is defined as "working an idea over in your
mind to achieve an outcome."  Now sometimes, you have to keep working an
idea over in your mind until you get it.  Quit too soon because you have not
come to an understanding is not a solution.  Sometimes problem solving
and/or creativity requires that you live with the uncertainty and/or
ambiguity.

 

Other than that, there are several kinds of thinking patterns which we call
over-thinking.  Given that, how can we respond to these different kinds of
over-thinking effectively?

 

First, obsessive thinking.  This often occurs in childhood when a small
child becomes obsessive about one or more things which captures her
attention.  One child might want to have the same story read to him every
single night.  Another child might become obsessed by ants or bugs or birds,
or some other animal.  Such obsessions are usually part of the learning
process,  and once well learned, the obsession vanishes and the child moves
on.  This is perfectly normal.

 

But some people never move on.  And why not?  Usually because there's a
strong irrational fear which is driving the obsession.  Consequently, this
leads to obsessive-compulsive disorders and the range of obsessions are as
wide as human interests.  What kind of fears are we talking about? A person
could be obsessed with fears, dangers, what others think about them, being
right, being safe, etc.  This kind of obsessing is sometimes called
over-thinking-going over and over a thought and never finishing it, never
getting closure on it.  Here a person may go in circles so that he thinks
the same thing over and over.

 

Second, re-thinking.  A person thinks in a haphazard manner and because of
that, never gets to closure.  So he comes back to re-think the subject again
and again.  He continually attempts to bring closure on a position or
decision, but never completes it.  Consequently, she never really gets clear
about her thoughts and so feels the need to keep re-processing things.  If
you use the same references over and over again trying to come to a
different conclusion, you will never bring the thinking to an end.  To break
out of that kind of looping requires using different references, resources,
and perspectives.  First acknowledge that if you keep thinking about
something in the same way, you will get the same result.  Accept and search
for a different way of thinking about it.

 

Third, intensional orientation.  This kind of intension is not to be
confused with intention.  Here I'm referring to intensional with a s, not
with a t.  The difference?  Intention refers to what you are thinking about
doing.  Intension refers to your internal thinking which defines things in
terms of other words and definitions.  The contrast is with extensional
thinking by which you get out of your head and extend things out into the
real world.  Intensional thinking keeps you going round and round a
self-invented definition in your head which is unrelated to the outside.
This becomes especially vicious if one intensional level is embedded inside
of another intensional level.  As you try to figure out the meaning of one
level, you loop into the other level.  Round and round you go.  While you
think you are simply trying to figure something out, you are looping between
meta-levels.  Solution?  Do an extensional check.  Get out of your head and
ask for sensory specific details that you can see, hear, and feel.

 

Fourth, double-bind looping.  You get caught into a loop that goes round and
round because a higher frame (a belief, decision, prohibition, etc.) keeps
you from stepping back to see the bind (the statement that binds). 

First bind or command: "Try not to  make a mistake." 

              The second bind: "Don't be aware of making a mistake."  

The third bind: "Don't be aware of the second bind."  

 

Now if you could "go meta" to all of this thinking and experiencing, you
could recognize that you are doomed to stay in the experience of making a
mistake.  As a fallible human being, you will make mistakes.  But if you do
and you are forbidden to be aware of it, you will spin around in that
experience.  As such it becomes an experience with no exit.  If only you
could see that you have been forbidden to go meta, that awareness would
expose the double-bind nature of these injunctions and you'd would be free.

 

Be careful with this over-used term.  When you hear it, ask for a clarity
check so that the person describes when and where it occurs and how they
have decided it is over-thinking.  Sometimes it is, sometimes it is not.
Wherever there's loose language, clear and precise thinking becomes
difficult and yet, at the same time, all that more important. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

L. Michael Hall, Ph.D.

Executive Director, ISNS

738 Beaver Lodge

Grand Jct., CO. 81505 USA

meta at acsol.net

 

 

 



https://www.neurosemantics.com/product/thinking-for-humans/

 

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