Do you do these 12 things?
Have people often told you that you’re “too deep”? Or do you feel frustrated that others don’t pay enough attention to important things, choosing shallow, fun topics instead? If these situations are familiar to you, you’re probably a deep thinker. Below are 12 things you may do simply because your brainmeats are perpetually working overtime.
1. Being perpetually aware of how your actions affect those around you.
Ignorance may be blissful for the individual, but it’s usually hellish for everyone else around them. Many people don’t stop to consider how their actions ripple out and affect others, but deep thinkers are painfully aware of the potential repercussions of everything they say or do.
It’s one of the reasons why deep-thinking individuals often struggle with social anxiety. They’re so scared of saying or doing something that could damage another that they often prefer solitude instead.
2. Asking a lot of questions.
Have your parents told you that your favorite question as a child was “Why?” Chances are high that you asked all kinds of questions about every topic imaginable, driving the adults around you to distraction. This hasn’t stopped in adulthood either, and you love to delve deeply into subjects that interest you.
According to Neuro Launch, deep thinkers aren’t content with surface-level understanding. As a result, they deep-dive into everything that interests them, questioning every aspect in their quest to find answers.
3. Reading books in a wide variety of genres.
Did you know that what you read affects you profoundly? According to Psychology Today, researchers discovered that different literary genres activate different parts of the brain. Some are linked to linguistic development or empathy, while others activate memory and introspection.
If you’re a deep thinker, it’s likely you read books in a wide variety of genres, from science fiction and poetry to philosophy, history, science, and literary fiction.
4. Staring off into the void.
If anyone has ever asked if you were okay because you were staring off into the distance for a protracted period of time, that’s a sign of a deep thinker. Most people who contemplate things deeply end up looking like they’re high or trying to focus on a storm happening on Jupiter.
An unfocused, distant gaze is a solid indicator that a person is lost in thought. In fact, they may even be overwhelmed by the mental maelstrom they’re contending with. Research has shown that mind-wandering is linked to more working memory. So this daydreaming could actually be because deep thinkers have more capacity to juggle several thoughts at one time.
5. Preferring your own company.
This often happens so you can sort through your own internalized thoughts and emotions in peace. Or you don’t want to go to the next huge social gathering as it gets very jarring – there is never a moment when you can collect yourself.
You may often find you excuse yourself to head to the bathroom or outside. It’s not because you need a smoke or to use the facilities, it’s merely a way to escape the clangor and compose the ceaseless noise within.
6. Forgetting to do something obvious.
Although lackwits are often berated for how often they forget to do something (or absentmindedly walk away from something important), the same thing happens to people who are deeply lost in thought.
You may forget your car keys on a regular basis, or keep dropping things as you’re trying to do the washing up. This is all because the main part of your mind is elsewhere, processing or visualizing something big. It’s akin to a computer that struggles with too many tabs open at once.
7. Not being great company for others.
If you’re often accused of being a daydreamer, or told you’re only paying half attention to a conversation, there’s a good chance it’s because you’re actually doing some damn good thinking instead.
Deep thinkers will sometimes pick up a thick, heavy book and pretend to read it so others will think they’re otherwise engrossed, leaving them to think in peace.
8. Taking your time to think before speaking.
Deep thinkers like to be articulate and precise when it comes to communication. As such, they’ll pause before answering questions to gather their thoughts and will speak slowly to convey their thoughts clearly.
You may have been mocked in the past by people who prattle on at the speed of sound and don’t like uncomfortable silences, but the fact that you speak clearly (and at a slower pace) is a testament to the depth of the thoughts you’re conveying.
9. Slower learning, while making more mistakes in the process.
This can be especially true for more practical disciplines. If you’re new to a skill, you may be worrying so much about the fine details you need to remember that you keep fumbling and messing it up. Alternatively, you may spend a few hundred hours trying to streamline your process before fully launching into that particular discipline.
The more simple-minded will just apply themselves and not be terribly invested in whether they’re doing a good job.
10. Needlessly worrying.
Deep thinkers are often plagued by worries that have no basis in reality. They might be having the most perfect day, but then intrusive thoughts about all the bad things that could possibly, maybe happen will barge in and replace the pleasantness with anxiety. Their smile will quickly be replaced with an intense, dissociative stare into the bleak abyss of potential tragedy.
As the great Stoic philosopher Seneca once said: “We suffer far more in our imaginations than we do in reality”.
11. Unintentionally sabotaging relationships.
You may not intend to damage your relationships, but somehow you manage to upset or alienate your partners, resulting in a long string of painful breakups. This likely happens because you overthink everything that’s going on, voice your insecurities, and then your partners feel overwhelmed by the never-ending barrage of questions and security-seeking.
While it’s important to pay attention to subtle changes in relationships, obsessing over them and interrogating your partners to comfort yourself isn’t going to keep things running smoothly.
12. Alienating those who aren’t deep thinkers.
You’ve undoubtedly shared some of your thoughts with others only for them to respond with “That’s deep, bruh” or “You don’t have to be so deep about it”. What you shared may not have even been that intense, but if it held more substance than celebrity gossip, it was simply too heavy for them to process.
Those who are brilliant will inevitably alienate the shallow thinkers. Don’t worry: there are plenty of other people out there who will appreciate your depth.
You’ll find your tribe.
