I think almost everyone overthinks. It's a curse of humanity: we think too much, usually about things we should have stopped thinking about long ago. We think about work tomorrow, we think about plans for our next vacation, we worry about the big presentation we need to give next week, then randomly we think of our crush from 4th grade and we find ourselves reenacting a half-remembered conversation with them and thinking about what we should have said.
sometimes I'd be better-served to have released it and move on
Exactly.
Having spent over half my life meditating 20-40 minutes everyday, I've had plenty of time to watch my mind and see how it works. Buddhists in general, I think, think about thinking even more than most, altho more in a general way and not looking at any specific thoughts. Trying not to anyway.
The funny thing about thoughts is few of them have any value. We tend to dwell on things and then revisit them again and again and again and again, when there is no value in that at all. In that way we tend to think the exact same things everyday.
I read an interesting thing once in a psychology paper. It said that study after study shows that the more people think over a decision, the worse their decision becomes. In almost all cases percentage-wise a coin flip and instant choice would give a better result.
heh anyway, excuse the rambling comment musing about thinking about thinking. Interesting topic.
I also think people spend time thinking about things they should simply not even allow in their heads, like what the Kardashians are doing for instance, or Botox. There's so many things that simply don't matter but people seem to fill their heads with that stuff rather than thinking about the things that will create a better life, better relationships, financial security, or just more (genuine) happiness. The world is bonkers.
On the coin flip-decision thing...I agree. People have lost their ability to listen to their intuition, or maybe they're so bogged down with all that superfluous noise, propaganda and disinformation they are deaf and blind to their own true thoughts (and feelings.)
Nutbags.
Interesting topic I think though, one that I want to think more on...no pun intended.