siiky
2024/03/06
2024/03/06
en
That is the question.
I read this article about "rumination" and "overthinking" (not the most enlightening, but always food for thought).
I shared it with someone who asked afterwards if I'm an "overthinker". I think that is the wrong question. Due to the cooperative principle, I can assume that what they wanted to ask is if I "tend to overthink", or if I "overthink often". That may sound like pedantry at first (not gonna disclaim it), but I happen to believe that language shapes thought. So there's one small big implication from that way of asking the question: if I am "an overthinker", I cannot be "not an overthinker" -- they're mutually exclusive, so at all times I must be overthinking.
Though it should go without saying: we, persons, are not immutable, we change with time. Even what we may think are intrinsic characteristics of ourselves, in particular our personalities, and especially most of our habits, what we know, and what we can do (mentally and physically) -- are likely only transient. There are tons of easy examples: we're not capable of speaking or understanding language at birth; ditto for walking, simple arithmetic, and other simple tasks we have to perform just to survive. When we're born we can barely take a shit, barely open our eyes, barely move our arms and legs. Those are all things that are NOT innate to us. We acquire those -- amazing! -- in order to survive. Everything else is an extra.
Most commonly (I hope), this way of thinking ("I'm an XYZ") is simply not helpful: it deprives a person of their (actually innate) capacity to change, adapt, learn, become more like how they wish to be -- we are NOT powerless, we have a say in it! In more extreme scenarios, unfortunately, it can lead to destructive behaviour.
So I would like to incite you -- whoever you are, whatever you are, however you are -- to take a moment and meditate on this subject. Is this who you are? how you are? I don't believe so; this is the you of the present.
Is there anything you especially like about yourself? Foment it more. Is there anything you especially dislike about yourself? Next time you notice yourself doing it, try to take a moment and think about it.
I would also, of course!, encourage you to do and make more of what you like!