Is “Over-Thinking” a Superpower?

Yes, I believe “over-thinking” is a superpower!

Definition - Over-thinking: The analysis and preoccupation on thoughts, often to the point of obsession. An attempt to gain control over uncertainty or anxiety by excessively mentally processing information.

Definition - Intellectualization: The approach to emotional or stressful situations in a detached, analytical manner. Focusing on facts and logic instead of dealing with the emotions directly.

Let me explain:

In the world of psychology “over-thinking,” as well as its close cousin intellectualization, are both known as defense mechanisms and, as all defense mechanisms, they are given a negative connotation as if the person engaging in the behavior is to blame for actively choosing and creating the behavior.

But, according to the archetypal psychologist and author James Hillman, the concept of defense mechanisms was created by psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud as a way to explain the troubling behavior of the children of his colleagues. You see, when Freud was getting started many of his early patients were referred to him by his colleagues as a way for those colleagues to support Freud and their mutual burgeoning psychological field.

And so, when delving into the past of the patient, as is the standard practice with the psychoanalytic method Freud was developing, Freud soon arrived at a dilemma when he recognized that the “troubling” behavior for which his patients were referred to him, was actually the reactions of inadequate or inappropriate parenting. I mean, how was he to tell his colleagues that the troubling behavior of their children was actually caused by the colleagues themselves!? To do that would jeopardize Freud’s entire focus and life’s work.

Therefore, Freud was biased and not using objectivity when seeing his patients and not able to accurately identify and label the issues and behavior he was seeing.

That’s where the psychoanalytic, “Defense Mechanisms” come in as they are a way to explain the inconvenient behavior of his colleagues’ children without fully holding accountable the underlying family life dynamics and parenting conditions that were fueling the behavior.

The Good News:

As a result, I prefer to think of “defense mechanisms” as more simply “excessive coping mechanisms.”

Definition - Coping Mechanism: The positive and healthy behaviors people can learn and use to help them adapt to stressful and uncomfortable situations and circumstances.

Typically the coping mechanisms are used until the stressful situation resolves or the person is able to remove themselves from the situation.

But, of course, leaving the childhood situation is not a possibility for children (without outside intervention) and even more, children typically often aren’t able to recognize the dysfunctional patterns affecting them simply because it’s all they’ve ever known.

Consequently, growing up in a dysfunctional family becomes a perfect breeding ground for the development of any excessive coping mechanisms. In all good faith, they child is purely trying to cope with a situation in which, for all intents and purposes, they are trapped.

The child’s reliance on the coping mechanism to which they have the easiest access - that of, “thinking about a problem and trying to solve it,” becomes an excessive reliance on that one coping mechanism and “over-thinking” is born.

Super-Power:

Everyone already knows that thinking is a powerful action and therefore I believe that excessive thinking is a Super-Power.

It’s the step above regular everyday thinking that can look at the really big questions in life and find solutions. I believe it’s the special ingredient that can take our lives from ordinary to extraordinary. I believe that it’s what finds answers to big questions and moves all of us along in the collective development of wisdom.

I believe, “over-thinking” is deep-thinking, creative-thinking, critical-thinking, analyzing, exploring, investigating, detail-thinking, thorough-thinking, philosophizing, nonconforming-thinking, abstract-thinking, reasoning, divergent thinking, problem-solving, contemplating and so many more incredibly valuable terms.

The Upshot:

The place where this type of thinking becomes problematic is when it is paired with an unavoidable and inescapable dysfunctional family environment with limited access to healthy coping mechanisms so that it becomes the only coping mechanism available (and thus, becomes excessively overused.)

I believe there is a trauma underlying the excessive ruminating and perseverating that takes up the precious time and energy of your thoughts. I believe that uncovering that trauma, the losses contained therein - and grieving those losses - and also learning and practicing other coping mechanisms is the key to releasing you from the vicious circle of “overthinking.” Once relieved of the overwhelming need solve the problem of your childhood by only relying on thinking as a coping mechanism, you become able to harness your underlying natural ability of deep-thinking and it’s the deep-thinking that can move mountains.

So yes, I believe the pattern of “over-thinking” is, in reality, the inclination to deep-thinking that simply became overused and excessively relied upon when coping with the unavoidable circumstances of growing up in a dysfunctional family - and I know deep-thinking is a superpower!

While “over-thinking” can have its challenges, reframing it as a superpower shows the many positive aspects and benefits to be gained. By relieving your thoughts from constantly having to be concerned, preoccupied and involved, with the struggle to stay afloat after a history of developmental trauma, the analytical skills, attention to detail, creativity, empathy, sensitivity and thirst for knowledge that drive an “over-thinker” can be harnessed and used for building the future.The “deep-thinking” can then instead be used to achieve success, making meaningful contributions to yourself and others, and navigating life's complexities with confidence and resilience.

If you are troubled by identifying as an “over-thinker,” and would like to turn that tendency to the valuable underlying strength of, “deep-thinking,” then let’s work on it together!

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