The Overthinking Trap

And why your mind isn’t meant to solve problems.

In recent years, thinking has had a bit of a bad rap due to our mind’s tendency to overthink. However, overthinking and thinking are two different functions carried out by two different faculties altogether. One is the mind. The other is the intellect.

Together, the mind and intellect form our inner personality. They are our thinking faculties. However, the mind cannot think; it can only ramble, wander, and drift from one thought to another.

It’s the intellect that thinks, not the mind.

The mind is irrational, emotional, and impulsive. It’s constantly moving like water flowing in a river. The intellect, on the other hand, is stable, rational, and grounded, much like the riverbanks. A well-developed intellect will guide the mind to a chosen goal, just as the banks channel the water to its ultimate destination: the ocean.

But what happens when the banks collapse? The river floods, spilling over its edges and wreaking havoc. Similarly, when the intellect is weak, the mind overruns our inner world, creating chaos: worry, anxiety, and stress.

Overthinking Is Not Thinking

The mind often deceives us into believing we’re “thinking” when we’re simply looping through the same anxious thoughts. One thought grabs hold, and the mind starts churning, imagining worst-case scenarios, ruminating on what went wrong, or obsessing over something that hasn’t happened yet.

For example, your partner is away on a business trip in a remote part of Asia. You can’t get in touch. Your mind kicks into gear:

“What if he’s had an accident?”
“What if no one's there to help?”
“What if he’s dead?”

You spin in this cycle for hours, maybe all night. The next day, he responds—and you breathe a sigh of relief. They had had a major blackout, which was common in that part of the world.

Now let’s break it down.