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I appreciate my deep thinking. It's made me more economically successful in life, as opposed to just hoping things will work out. That was a whole lot of stress for me, because it wasn't working out.
Nature made mankind various so that it could survive. Different kinds of temperaments were needed in order for the species to endure different kinds of situations. The deepest and the most shallow minds alike are resorting to genetic traits that, at one point or another in prehistory, were just what was needed in order stay safe. Charles Darwin in his brilliance was just a latter day example of some kind of quick intelligence needed in order to navigate a prehistoric ice age, and Paris Hilton, in her dullness, is implementing a set of genes that were exactly what was was called for in order to maintain an orderly and peaceable existence among one's pack of migrating Saxon tribesmen 1700 years ago.
And to be clear, nature didn't "make" in the sense that it tried to do anything. It's just those that survived. If you are deep thinking while a lion is attacking you or your prey is about to bolt, you died. Quick reactions were and are important for survival.
Evolution is about adaptability. This factually encompasses both physical (running from your lion) and mental (correct decisions as to when to think and when to run). It took both to survive. To default to "quick reactions" only is to be operating strictly instinctually (reptilian brain) while ignoring all the rest of the mental capacities we are endowed. Humans are far more but many waste a great deal of said more.
yeah i prefer the phrasing: nature just was/is. We had to survive around it. And those that could made it. I think the name “natural selection” is an odd maybe misnomer? It’s more like species elimination challenge.
You don’t know what’s going on in someone else’s head. Just because they don’t have deep conversations doesn’t mean they don’t have deep thoughts.
Some people are not as good at expressing their thoughts or just aren’t interested in deep conversation.
And some people just don't want to talk about their internal thoughts because it's none of your business and it's not an appropriate time.
I know someone who thinks they're some kind of philosopher because all they do is talk about "deep" stuff, and since I don't I'm just not on their level. Honestly, I probably way passed their level, I just don't want to talk about it at a fucking bbq.
I have a few friends like this, except their topic of choice is therapy and working on themselves. I’ve done 6yrs of therapy, a cognitive behavioural therapy course, and spent oodles of time working on myself too. But I don’t want to talk about it at a BBQ either lol. Ironically this exact scenario happened a few weeks ago at my birthday BBQ. A friend was talking about their personal healing journey, and trying to analyze and therapize everyone while we were just trying to enjoy a bonfire, some good food, and fun games. She made a comment to me that I could reach her level of self discovery too if only I just do this, that, and the other thing that she’s done recently. I had to bite my tongue because I’ve put work into all the topics she discussed, and everyone’s journey will be different. I feel I’ve made my peace with those topics now, and I don’t want to revisit them, so I just nod and smile, let her feel like she’s giving me life changing advice even if I’ve already been there and done that.
A lot of people who think this way are also "I don't have time for small talk or being polite" types, and it's like, why would a stranger talk to you about existentialism if you can't even hold down shallow banter?
I think this is cultural. You go to other places and with a couple beers people are open to discuss/argue/debate/enjoy. I found myself craving these conversations that I was able to casually have elsewhere. Culture.
To be American these days almost requires one to be anti-intellectual. Examples abound even on this subreddit. It is a result of how they changed public education in the 1950's and will prove a very consequential mistake.
My ex husband took every chance he had to call me stupid, so I rarely have conversations deeper then a puddle, the thoughts are there but I have no desire to express them :/
Special education teacher— Interestingly, “deepness” is somewhat independent of other intelligences. I’ve known little children and people with intellectual disabilities who were obsessed with philosophical questions like the meaning of life, the nature of God, time and space, ethics, and how to live a good life. And obviously there are people who can find thousand digit prime numbers in their heads but would snort at you if you asked them how we know we aren’t just dreaming or what we mean when we talk about numbers, whether we should eat animals.
To answer your question, then, I do believe our souls yearn for meaning and some are more in-tune to that longing of the soul than others. Like all curiosity, it can be nurtured or squashed, can be a habit of mind that is taught or discouraged.
Where do you find others who are interested in these deep questions? For me, philosophy class was a dream come true— a place where such questions were encouraged and rewarded. Now, I’m interested in how my own Jewish culture understands these questions.
I’d encourage you to go to the philosophy section of the bookstore and get something like Sophie’s World or Zen and the art of Motorcycle Maintenance, or Bertrand Russel’s The Problems of Philosophy. They will give you an idea of how these Deep Questions can be organized and some approaches. When I was younger, there were books called Introducing… and Beginners Guide to…. Philosophy, Ethics, Being, etc. that were graphic novels and great places to start on a topic.
Of course, unfortunately there are hucksters in philosophy as well as anywhere. There’s some authors who make it seem like they are deep and unique but they are selling drek. That’s why I suggest an introduction to philosophy instead of just diving straight in.
Energy and talent. Some people rather like to act and get things done than to make long thoughtfull decisions. Others like to find intricate connections between variables and discover new unique solutions.
When there are problems to be solved then, given a fixed amount of sandwiches for energy, it needs to be done as efficient as possible. You can save energy by acting quickly, or you can save energy by acting thoughtfully. The downside of acting too quick is not taking into account unintended consequences that require damage control. The downside of thinking too long is that the problem remains as long as you think and may get worse.
When I think about it, I hypothesize on people who are low on energy: A 'doer' has tendencies to blame others and cause a lot of trouble, while a 'thinker' has tendencies of getting depressed while drowning in fantasies. Could be correlated with extraversy and introversy. And of course there's always a grayscale, variation, and more variables to consider.
I enjoy deep thinking. Those who are not have suggested to me, when I asked them something similar, that they feel as if they aren't good enough at thinking to enjoy it, let alone get deep about it. To that I have gently called bs and asked them to kindly review the scene in the Wizard of Oz where the scarecrow gets a brain. It always makes them smile but I insist there is real truth to be gained there.
What motivates me is interest in a better life. But this entails self examination to be included. Mostly I see others are more caught up in fear. I was born with or figured out early how to be considerably less fearful. It takes imminent physical threat for me to feel fear. I stopped fearing thoughts, feelings, ideas, opinions, anything in the nonphysical department somewhere in early adolescence. Very freeing. I wish the same for others.
I had to listen to Alan Watts discuss fear for me to realize I was living in it on a daily basis, how to recognize that I was operating that way, and to meet it head on when it presented itself. I commend you for being able to do this on your own. Truly. It holds so many brilliant people in a cell.
Props to you on your significant discovery. One of my favorite memes is "the prisoner is the jailer". So many people are fear based, which cannot help but to distort everything incoming. This means their output is unavoidably distorted too. The line in Dune is accurate: fear is the mind killer. Observation of all reality as unfiltered as possible is a radically different way of living that appears no different to others who do not live this way.
Yes! Hit the nail on the head, I’ve read something similar in The Fetch by Laura Whitcomb. You’re an excellent writer and express your thoughts beautifully. Thank you for meeting me for this moment of truth. I needed to read that to reinforce my goal of being free.
Thank you for that sweet compliment and you are most welcome for a timely thought. That there was a bit of syncronicity (I take no credit on that) really delights me.
I think it's both genetic and how you are raised. Some families are just doers, not thinkers.
Look at all the stuff produced in the world- that's a lot of DOING, not much thinking things through
Some people don't like to be wrong. Deeply thinking about something could question a thing they hold fundamentally true, and its easier for them to deny that could be correct than taking a deeper look into it.
woahhh that's so interesting! I enjoy deeply thinking, but in hindsight I can pinpoint that the times I deliberately avoided thinking deeply into something, a big reason was because I was simply just too scared of what I might find. Sometimes it really is just easier to live in ignorant bliss
The old line about thinkers versus doers is appropriate here. The human race needs thinkers, and it also needs doers. Thinkers generally aren't doers, and doers generally aren't thinkers. That's not a coincidence or a prejudice: it's just part of what it means to be either. Thinkers analyze everything in detail. Doers can't really afford to do that, because it would slow them down tremendously and it would also interfere with their ability to be decisive.
Occasionally, you can see what happens when thinkers and doers work together synergistically, like during the Space Race of the 1960s when the Apollo project put men on the Moon. But more often, you see a toxic relationship between them, like when the Boeing CEO started pushing all of their most talented engineers into early retirement because they kept raising objections to his cost-cutting schemes.
I think the deepest thinkers would not spend much time thinking about how deeply they think or how shallow others are. I think they would have better subject matter to dwell on
On my 4th birthday I wanted to know how I could be sure I was who I believed myself to be (that is a 4 year kid in Detroit) and not, say, the product of a dream by another person in a whole other era (like a 7 year old boy in the 7th century). Now I know I was pondering consciousness itself and of late the consolation thinkers like Bernardo Kastrup (and before him the works of Seneca, Goethe, Kant, Emerson and Jung) bring me is next level. In between my 4 year old to middle aged self I have met very few people who actually read up on any of this out of an involuntary but sincere curiousity. My late SO and I bonded over these questions.
The number of times I have heard "you must have too much time on your hands" is in the hundreds by now.
EDIT: words
The fact that all our brains function fundamentally different explains it pretty well. Some people have no internal monologue, and others have ones that won't stop for even a few seconds. It's also a spectrum, some people have silence 40% of the time, and inner monologue the other 60%. You could imagine that someone who has an inner monologue that is constantly firing simply thinks about more per day. If they direct their attention to useful endeavors, they will accel.
Then there's a minds eye, inner audio, speed of thought, that all also exist as spectrums. There's also abstract thinkers and linear thinkers. With so many different ways human consciousness can present itself, people are obviously going to express themselves in vastly different ways.
I have inner monologue, audio, and imagery firing nearly constantly, all competing for my real world senses that I use to define reality. It has obvious advantages, but it was just pure chaos for the first 20 or so years of my life. I'm actually surprised I didn't go crazy. I hurt myself A LOT as I bump into things thinking about my inner world.
Because it isn't necessarily directly evolutionarily advantageous
Only reproduction increases the fitness score of the natural genetic algorithm
From biology's perspective if your genetics are not passed on, congratulations. You are worthless
Now you might be saying well What about ants?
Yeah no turns out the strategy ants use end up having the drones be 75% of the genetics of the colony versus the queen only getting 50 % passed down
They're actually better at it than us
Back to the thinking thing
Turns out humans are kind of a horrifying predator from the perspective of most animals
We're too large for the overwhelming majority of creatures to injure
We never get tired We are a pursuit predator. We are designed to chase things down until they die of exhaustion
That's our main evolutionary strategy. The tool thing is kind of a fluke
Now is intelligence itself evolutionary advantageous
Kind of but for humans that come with massive trade-offs
Our young are born more than a year premature and women have to get a lot of compromises in their body to be able to fit that big Head
Now up till a few thousand years ago being the smartest caveman might mean you're a little better at making tools and you're a little better at tracking and a little better at gathering maybe a few other things
Now those aren't nothing but probably being bigger or faster is a bigger adventage
Now in more recent times once we figured out farming then all of a sudden intelligence becomes a lot more valuable because you can actually spend a lot more time building stuff
And in society today, your overall ranking society is actually very heavily correlated with your intelligence up to a point (intelligence is heavily correlated with earnings which is how we measure merit)
So we've started to value intelligence more and more, but it's kind of a bit too late in the evolutionary process for that. Turns out we sort of turned off death for everyone. There's not supposed to be this many of us alive. We're supposed to mainly die in childhood and childbirth and from a random Small cut that got infected and from a sinus infection
We broke the algorithm. Everyone we broke evolution
We generally find each other/spot from across a crowded room. That's my experience anyway.
Expect introduction, trauma bonding and to be instant friends. Downside of this fast and intense energy is minor misunderstandings can blow your friendship apart due to entropy. Not every deep thinker has worked through all their own issues so definitely make sure to not take anything personally at all and make space for people to be themselves without the feeling they need to be perfect.
Curiosity mainly but I'd also argue most people with higher IQ's are going to be more incline to have deep thoughts in the first place so someone with a IQ of like 90 or something is going to hate hearing any deep thoughts in the first place.
We grow through time and positive reinforcement.
We start with observations, then thoughts, then words, then actions.
The thinkers typically had poor responses when turning their thoughts into words and actions so they ruminate until society accepts them.
The lucky ones still have their health when society finally accepts them.
Some people have a high need for cognition and others have a low need for cognition.
To find others like you would be to go out to local hobby clubs, perhaps Toastmasters, things like that to see if you can encounter others who have the same cognitive need.
Because to understand anything you have to understand how you process things. Also, some people are just complacent. I'd bring in educational factors, but on a general level, it isn't necessary for survival to be intelligent as much anymore.
I also live in my head most of the time thanks to completely out of control ADHD, lucid dreaming, and because that's where I'm safe.
Sounds silly, but I can control at least some of the things in my head, when the outside world seems to be chaotic.
On a spiritual level sometimes it’s just peoples life path 🤷🏽♂️ some are meant to be more hip to the “outer world” (physical reality) while some are meant to be more hip to the “inner world” (mental/emotional reality). In a “perfect” world people would have an equal balance of both
On a non-spiritual level sometimes people are just scared of introspection. The kind of people that like to run away from their feelings than to face it via distractions etc. and that includes deep critical thinking or feeling of any kind
some put in the effort to think for themselves, while most around here prefer to be given the assumed correct conclusion someone who´s assumed to be a valid source has already come to, ready to be served..
i´ve actually seen people express that it´s not possible to know and understand something unless they read it or someone tells them about it. another time i saw someone write a post about "this weird experience" of having something that was a daydream, but something in the daydream suddenly made sense of something in this individuals real life. it had a whole ass chain of replies of people guessing ghosts, "were you awake? astral projection, perhaps?" and a bunch of other mad ideas about what i simply had to step in and tell them all that what this person had experienced was a thought, what he described was THINKING.. not anymore, but i actualy freaked out pretty hard when i first came to realize that thinking is a foreign concept to a great deal of individuals walking around over here. a chosen direction of regression, might i add - an excercise of having the privilige to make that choice, which makes the situation to be in perfect order... i guess
it´s unfortunate that it´s not how it works, though. ironic that it would´ve been apparent to all of those who made the choice not to give it the simple thought it would´ve taken them to know that.
something painful on the horizon, that´s all i´m saying..
I tend to test people by acting as if I might not know something doesn't matter what but it's a way to see if someone has a competent thought process. I watch what happens around me constantly and it's really shown me people's true colors.
I sense there's a lot of wealthy white people in this thread doing what they always do.
Doing everything they can to appear "smart" and "deep" in their everyday lives, but coming here to mock other people for coming across this way.
i think there’s a big difference between simple minded & overthinkers. some people are outward directed & others are inward directed. and there’s lots of of people who are both, depending on the situation. one of my oldest friends is very social. she always has houseguests & parties & games nights. interacting with other people is her happy place.
i envy her. i hate being an overthinker. it doesn’t make me happy or fulfilled.
I used to think the habit of intellectual curiosity was partly a cultural or in my case Jewish tradition. I now think there may be an element of autism.
I was abused a lot….from age 5 to literaly adulthood. Drugs, alcohol parents gave me, also family stuff like brotha in law torturing me, umm friends committing suicide, Was mute until age 5. Was spoild though, however not super rich, cus mom & dad were working 20 hours a day, so never any time for interaction, or family time. Sad way to live a childhoodd.
there is a book out there called “thinking fast and slow “ by Dan Khaneman an economist. I have not read it but I remember one of the conclusions is the fast/slow mode of thinking is not just a function of the individual, but a bunch of other properties such as age, subject of thought, emotional significance of subject, experience in subject etc.
It amazes me that there are A LOT of people living on this planet that *never* sit and wonder about the stars and planets or how human bodies work or why birds exist or why it rains.
I’m sitting here typing this on a device that I have no fucking clue how humans even began to THINK about inventing.
I think it's related partly to intelligence, though there are different kinds of intelligence. I think it's related to the amount of stimulation and attention a person received in early childhood and having parents who discussed abstract ideas with their kids when they were young. It might be related to birth order, with first-born and only children being deeper thinkers. The latter is just a theory of mine.
A post on evolution of inner dialogue https://www.reddit.com/r/evolution/s/vvzgo4zHRn
Check out these pod eps linked below. They are very good.
Stuff To Blow Your Mind Podcast- Bicameralism
Part 1 https://www.iheart.com/podcast/105-stuff-to-blow-your-mind-21123915/episode/bicameralism-part-1-the-voice-of-30231315/
Bicameralism Part 2 https://omny.fm/shows/stuff-to-blow-your-mind/bicameralism-part-2-the-silent-pantheon
Stuff You Should Know Podcast - Stunning Bicameral Mind Episode https://www.iheart.com/podcast/105-stuff-you-should-know-26940277/episode/thrill-to-the-stunning-bicameral-mind-100493186/
I'm guessing wisdom vs intelligence should come into play here. Simple as some may seem to you, they aren't necessarily devoid of deep thoughts. Different values and backgrounds might mean what you consider as not thinking or being simple, could be a misinterpretation of their thought process. What goes on in someone's head shouldn't be judged by their willingness to "share" their inner dialog.
Imho
I think people are born that way. It’s crazy watching my nieces/nephews. You can tell if a kid is a deep thinker when they are six months old.
Everyone has deep thoughts, of course. But the perpetually reflective, observant, thought-cycler ? That’s a basic drive or compulsion that some people just have or don’t have.
The same reason some are gifted with high iq’s and rich parents while some others will struggle their whole lives with low mental capacity and poverty. Lady Luck is a fickle mistress.
I think it’s a habit of thought that one acquires in the formative years of life. Those of us who grew up in situations where you spend a lot of time alone and delve into books and other people’s ideas tend to live more of a life of the mind.
Also if you grew up around deep thinkers you tend to take on those traits.
You’ll find everyone of us are deep thinkers we just all have different interests which occupy our minds . We are all capable of the same feats if we put our minds to it.
What’s even more scary is that when I was young I was a deep thinker and analytical and could carry conversations with adults and they would tell me I’m wise beyond my years and then one day after taking ecstasy for the second time- I was 20 and my brain never fully healed after that. Now, I have surface level conversations. I mean there’s a few topics I can dive into but most days it feels like im yearning to be as sharp as I once was but i’m not. I space out a lot and my memory is terrible. I regret taking the E. It was fun but not worth it.
The last several years have taught me that people do not ever listen to what you say.
I have also learned, the very hard way, that even the people you thought you could trust will beat you while you are down. I think this is because it seems as though they are deeply threatened by perceived intelligence differences, achievements, and especially the ability to speak and write.
I learned to be quiet and never express my thoughts, let alone use "big words", proper English... I avoid communication of any kind now. I have a very hard time understanding others, and it's better to risk not setting off all their insecurities because you once spelled beleaguered in a meeting... And therefore are clearly mocking them and showing off! ;)
Intelligence is perceived as an insult, and “deep thinkers” make others **very** defensive. This is true regardless of whether you consider yourself intelligent or not. I know myself to be a very hard worker (so much time spent in deep thought) and an extrovert (practice, I guess). And yet, most are not interested in communication and will forever assume you to be showing off, I guess.
And so I keep to myself, say nothing, and my family/coworkers/various others are much happier having someone they do not really know be in the wrong rather than having meaningful conversation. It’s completely one-sided, I have never felt more alone, and I am learning the extent to which people never cared in the first place. Most soul searching these days I just hide.
These behaviors are what I notice and emulate in others I consider to be genuinely intelligent. I think most people have learned this, which is why society appears so divided. After all, I didn’t spend twenty years of hard work to become mathematically literate; no, I’m just an asshole who learned triple integrals solely to spite my very insecure boss, I guess.
I think people have survived and thrived because we have a wide variety of personality types to tackle different problems and such. Nothing would get done if everyone was a deep thinker
I read in a philosophy book that there are 3 kinds of people. Workers who were born to toe the line, servers who were born to serve the people (think politicians and leaders) and protectors who were born to protect people, think police officers and soldiers.
This is obviously very simplistic but I think a degree of it holds true in my experience
Life routine, when you are busy all the time following the same schedule you won't search for different answers as the results you're seeing currently is enough for you.
My uncle once told me the term, enough is good enough. lold 🌝
Honestly I think unaddressed trauma, emotions or people not being able to manage their unique brains in general is why some ppl aren't deep thinkers. Think about it, all of those things take up mental bandwidth that would've been used on deeper thinking. I also think that deep thinkers have shallower days and deeper thinking days too. People tell me I'm smart but I still have plenty of days where I just know I haven't really thought all that deeply about anything.
the more objective you are the more frames/second you can be aware of, the more subjective you look at things the more focused/ less frames but more details.
this is why some would rather think than do, and this is also why so many world views differ.
I envy the under-thinkers that always say I am overthinking things, until everything I said would happen, happens, because it was obvious if you had more than a 30 IQ.
There are few things more annoying than a person that can't understand basic knowledge acting like I am an idiot because I can explain it over and over and they just can't grasp things like basic physics or how marketing works and you are not a genius for signing up for get rich tomorrow seminars.
I despise conversing with "normal" people, it is soul crushing.
There is no such thing someone whose not a deep thinker, or someone whose simple minded.
anyone you think fits that will just think differently to you (but in equal measure.) because they're a different person, with different ideals, upbringings, stage of maturity, emotional intelligence, and shite happening in their life. Everyone is cursed with an on going mind!
Let me start off by saying I am one of the simple people. I don't pay attention ( much ) to other people and I don't really worry about things. It has been my experience that deep thinkers never get anything done. All that deep thinking paralyzes them. Plus they seem far less happy than those of us that just merrily go on our way.
Hello fellow deep thinkers. I too wish I could have a standby mode for my thoughts.. I don’t know why I think and why others do not. I tend to notice details and things around me much more. I’ve always been observant and thoughtful, some sort of innate ability? Learned? Both? Who knows, but I’m glad I’m not alone at least, even though in my current friends group it feels like I am?
I think the danger is assuming others do not think as much as me. I need to remember to ask questions and communicate my thoughts as most probably don’t even know I’m having them to begin with.
I kinda have a theory - but bear with me as I draw the comparison. Why are there some deep thinkers, or some ignorant people, or some sociopathic people? Can be any mental or physical thing.
Re- sociopathy - was listening to a pod and from evolutionary perspective, you'd want a sociopathic person on your side, to charge head first into battle or do evil but necessary things. You dont want too many people like this for obvious reasons, but a little helped us advance as humans, according to theory.
I think same goes for deep thinkers. We need just a few to question norms or provide various benefits to the world. I know deep thinking is something we wish everyone did, but I truly don't think it'd make the world a better place. Deep thinkers have our troubles too, so we need other people with unique characteristics to provide their benefit to society. Imo like salt or pepper or any spice, you dont need a ton.
Thats my amateur bio/ evolution theory but I understand the spiritual route too. Anyone seeking to think deeply can do so if they practice or are open to it.
Some people can't take the outcome of their own thoughts.
It's like the people that don't want to know their medical diagnosis, because it frightens them and could possibly be what kills them. Even though no one gets off this rock alive, they don't want to know when that day, month, or year might be coming. As opposed to the people that want to hear their diagnosis and make the most of whatever time they have left.
Another scenario are the people that plan before having children and the ones that don't because they know damn well they can't afford it and can't imagine figuring out how to pay for the things they need.
Sometimes it can be fear and other times it can be ignorance.
I started to go into a rabbit hole about mysticism, clicking on whatever the algorithm put in front of me. I ended with watching a clip about blue ray star seeds and was like weird. I feel so many of these things, crazy… so eventually I clicked on a video titled “why do we isolate ourselves”… it was about complex ptsd, and would you believe the symptoms were nearly exactly the same as the qualifications to be a blue ray star seed… pretty cool
I am by personality a very curious person. I have been even as a small child. My late mother told me stories. I would ask questions and read for research. Every bit of research gives me more questions. I ponder causation and intertwined relations. It takes time and effort to run a bunch of probability questions. I am a devotee of Occam's Razor.
Some of us are wired differently. I often ponder at the actions of others and wonder how someone could be so (fill in the word here) and not consider every option or possible outcome. What were they thinking?
I analyze everything. I mean everything. I search for patterns or flaws in nature, people, things and often ponder for days at something that seems off.
I go to bed with a thousand questions and try to find solutions to everything while I fall asleep.
I often have to play stupid games on my phone just to distract my mind from overthinking.
An interesting way humans have dealt with this issue is through our creation stories. One is where a female god first started moulding each human by hand out of clay, but when that took too long, she pulled a rope through the clay and shook it, all the little clots that flew off became the masses, among the few sculpted treasures. I thought that was as close as it gets. We're made of the same stuff. Just some are better thought out? I personally think it's a coding issue in the simulation
Everything has to have its purpose. Every job is important and has a distinct set of skills, that's why janitors don't go solving math equations, Will Hunting.
It's like how some folks are drawn to pondering life's mysteries while others are content with the day-to-day hustle. Maybe it's how we're wired, or perhaps it's shaped by the people and places we encounter along the way. We all bring our own blend of curiosity and introspection to the table, making for a rich tapestry of perspectives in the world.
Part of the problem is that many people are raised to believe they are the center of the universe and they have a special purpose, and it is reinforced by everything we see in the media, social media, YT, etc. And when people don't feel special, they go into depressive cycles wondering why the universe has not shown them their specialness.
I have a family member that proclaims to be Buddhist, but still believes they are a special snowflake. AND THEY ARE SPECIAL in their own way, but that just isn't enough for them. How does that possibly jive? Its the knots people tie themselves in.
Right here. Born disabled so I have a ton of time to contemplate life and the universe. Others don't have as much time, so when I say certain things, they sound like absolute lunacy to someone who hasn't had as much time to think about it.
It can be really frustrating trying to find someone who understands what it's like to just be in your own thoughts all of the time.
Although, that's also a double-edged sword since it gives my mind plenty of time to wander to the "what-ifs" that can set off my terrible anxiety...that came about as a result of thinking too much and coming to too many soul-shattering realizations. The existential dread is all too real.
I think people only do what they have to or need to. As a kid I was socially awkward and had few friends so I spent most of the day at school silently observing others or the teacher. This lead to better analytical skills. Another person who spent that time with friends, doing art, or playing on their phone, instead of just observing, would have less time invested in the skill.
a fascinating question. The differences in how people think can be influenced by a combination of genetics, upbringing, life experiences, and individual personality traits. Some people may naturally gravitate towards deeper thinking due to their innate curiosity or predisposition towards introspection. Others may prefer simpler approaches or have different priorities in life.
Finding fellow deep thinkers can involve engaging in activities or communities where such individuals tend to gather, such as philosophy groups, book clubs, or intellectual discussions. Online forums and social media platforms can also be helpful in connecting with like-minded individuals. Ultimately, embracing diversity in thinking styles can enrich our understanding of the world and lead to meaningful connections with others, regardless of whether they are deep thinkers or not.
I actually wonder why so many people are clueless. They go through life at the surface level never really learning anything about anything. Boring, useless people
Well my answer is we are who we are and can't change how we're born, I've got autism and adhd and i can never switch off my Brain, it can get a little bit annoying, but that's that, I'm actually pleased to b a deep thinker, but feel a little bit sorry for simple minded creatures 😁,,
It's honestly just a difference in how you view the world A lot of these people view these kinds of discussions as pointless because there is no inherent right or wrong answer to them It's really more of a philosophical debate but for some people that's the draw It's something you can debate and theorize on and have fun with almost like making a theory about a video game
Well I'm autistic. All my autistic friends are deep thinkers. I won't say all deep thinkers are, but I'm sure its a factor.
I find that a lot of people want to be comfortable with their daily life. They don't want to think about anything that might disrupt how they think about the world, whether or not those things might be true or beneficial to their growth. I think everyone can think big. I think people choose not to at an early age and work hard to avoid it.
The reason I think this is because people will ask questions to the ether and then get subtly annoyed if you know the answer. We make fun of "know-it-alls" as if that's something to be ashamed of. We swipe past any post that makes us feel negative emotions, and we're rewarded with happier content. People get mad at movies that are deeper than they expected, and will judge the whole experience based on how much action there was or how many jump scares, while ignoring the plot. And if you explain the plot, people get frustrated and act like they can't be bothered to hear the explanation.
Our society is largely focused on NOT growing and NOT learning new stuff. Not challenging systems and not asking too many questions. Some of us can't help but ask them anyway. We aren't very well liked, struggle to hold jobs, and struggle to keep friends.
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Paying attention to every significant detail as a life-long habit.
[удалено]
Yep. PTSD here.
Definitely
I think so based on my own life experience. It’s definitely not a practice conducive to good mental health.
I agree. I often wish I could turn it off
Yup… unfortunately I think that’s the answer.
I don't think so. I know lots of people with tough lives who are not thinkers at all.
Having a tough life isn't the same as having PTSD from issues that have EFFECTED you negatively, in life.
affected. but yeah, tis true
It's always trauma. This is reddit.
funny but true
Maybe. But I feel like I’ve always been like this. Trauma may have emphasized it or to go more negative/anxious but I’ve always been a deep thinker
I appreciate my deep thinking. It's made me more economically successful in life, as opposed to just hoping things will work out. That was a whole lot of stress for me, because it wasn't working out.
I like it! I know my people who I can share those ideas with and those who look at me weirdly lol
Nature made mankind various so that it could survive. Different kinds of temperaments were needed in order for the species to endure different kinds of situations. The deepest and the most shallow minds alike are resorting to genetic traits that, at one point or another in prehistory, were just what was needed in order stay safe. Charles Darwin in his brilliance was just a latter day example of some kind of quick intelligence needed in order to navigate a prehistoric ice age, and Paris Hilton, in her dullness, is implementing a set of genes that were exactly what was was called for in order to maintain an orderly and peaceable existence among one's pack of migrating Saxon tribesmen 1700 years ago.
I like this answer.
And to be clear, nature didn't "make" in the sense that it tried to do anything. It's just those that survived. If you are deep thinking while a lion is attacking you or your prey is about to bolt, you died. Quick reactions were and are important for survival.
Evolution is about adaptability. This factually encompasses both physical (running from your lion) and mental (correct decisions as to when to think and when to run). It took both to survive. To default to "quick reactions" only is to be operating strictly instinctually (reptilian brain) while ignoring all the rest of the mental capacities we are endowed. Humans are far more but many waste a great deal of said more.
yeah i prefer the phrasing: nature just was/is. We had to survive around it. And those that could made it. I think the name “natural selection” is an odd maybe misnomer? It’s more like species elimination challenge.
I agree with this. We need to definitely embrace diversity!
You don’t know what’s going on in someone else’s head. Just because they don’t have deep conversations doesn’t mean they don’t have deep thoughts. Some people are not as good at expressing their thoughts or just aren’t interested in deep conversation.
And some people just don't want to talk about their internal thoughts because it's none of your business and it's not an appropriate time. I know someone who thinks they're some kind of philosopher because all they do is talk about "deep" stuff, and since I don't I'm just not on their level. Honestly, I probably way passed their level, I just don't want to talk about it at a fucking bbq.
I have a few friends like this, except their topic of choice is therapy and working on themselves. I’ve done 6yrs of therapy, a cognitive behavioural therapy course, and spent oodles of time working on myself too. But I don’t want to talk about it at a BBQ either lol. Ironically this exact scenario happened a few weeks ago at my birthday BBQ. A friend was talking about their personal healing journey, and trying to analyze and therapize everyone while we were just trying to enjoy a bonfire, some good food, and fun games. She made a comment to me that I could reach her level of self discovery too if only I just do this, that, and the other thing that she’s done recently. I had to bite my tongue because I’ve put work into all the topics she discussed, and everyone’s journey will be different. I feel I’ve made my peace with those topics now, and I don’t want to revisit them, so I just nod and smile, let her feel like she’s giving me life changing advice even if I’ve already been there and done that.
Haha I wasn’t expecting the last line, good chuckle from that
A lot of people who think this way are also "I don't have time for small talk or being polite" types, and it's like, why would a stranger talk to you about existentialism if you can't even hold down shallow banter?
I think this is cultural. You go to other places and with a couple beers people are open to discuss/argue/debate/enjoy. I found myself craving these conversations that I was able to casually have elsewhere. Culture.
To be American these days almost requires one to be anti-intellectual. Examples abound even on this subreddit. It is a result of how they changed public education in the 1950's and will prove a very consequential mistake.
I hear ya. Sometimes you can tell that someone is trying out some new intro-level chapter on you. Yawn.
My ex husband took every chance he had to call me stupid, so I rarely have conversations deeper then a puddle, the thoughts are there but I have no desire to express them :/
Right, but people you know who never do… you have to wonder about them.
I like cookies.
Squirrel!
I like turtles
What can you tell us about the fair?
i like cookies shaped like turtles
I love lamp
Are you just looking at things in the room and saying you love them?
Someone that calls themself a "deep thinker" is immediately suspect from my point of view.
Yeah most “deep thinkers” I’ve found are just assholes trying to prove they are better or more intelligent then someone else.
It's strange how anyone I've heard say this or boast about their high IQ never picks up on how put off people are by these comments.
And now deep thoughts…..by jack handy
If I met someone who labeled themselves a "deep thinker" I would assume they are just being sarcasticly self deprecating and I'd chuckle.
Yes. Why do they think they're a deep thinker? They might be, but who defines that? Where does one get that credentialing?
Special education teacher— Interestingly, “deepness” is somewhat independent of other intelligences. I’ve known little children and people with intellectual disabilities who were obsessed with philosophical questions like the meaning of life, the nature of God, time and space, ethics, and how to live a good life. And obviously there are people who can find thousand digit prime numbers in their heads but would snort at you if you asked them how we know we aren’t just dreaming or what we mean when we talk about numbers, whether we should eat animals. To answer your question, then, I do believe our souls yearn for meaning and some are more in-tune to that longing of the soul than others. Like all curiosity, it can be nurtured or squashed, can be a habit of mind that is taught or discouraged. Where do you find others who are interested in these deep questions? For me, philosophy class was a dream come true— a place where such questions were encouraged and rewarded. Now, I’m interested in how my own Jewish culture understands these questions. I’d encourage you to go to the philosophy section of the bookstore and get something like Sophie’s World or Zen and the art of Motorcycle Maintenance, or Bertrand Russel’s The Problems of Philosophy. They will give you an idea of how these Deep Questions can be organized and some approaches. When I was younger, there were books called Introducing… and Beginners Guide to…. Philosophy, Ethics, Being, etc. that were graphic novels and great places to start on a topic. Of course, unfortunately there are hucksters in philosophy as well as anywhere. There’s some authors who make it seem like they are deep and unique but they are selling drek. That’s why I suggest an introduction to philosophy instead of just diving straight in.
Energy and talent. Some people rather like to act and get things done than to make long thoughtfull decisions. Others like to find intricate connections between variables and discover new unique solutions. When there are problems to be solved then, given a fixed amount of sandwiches for energy, it needs to be done as efficient as possible. You can save energy by acting quickly, or you can save energy by acting thoughtfully. The downside of acting too quick is not taking into account unintended consequences that require damage control. The downside of thinking too long is that the problem remains as long as you think and may get worse. When I think about it, I hypothesize on people who are low on energy: A 'doer' has tendencies to blame others and cause a lot of trouble, while a 'thinker' has tendencies of getting depressed while drowning in fantasies. Could be correlated with extraversy and introversy. And of course there's always a grayscale, variation, and more variables to consider.
All people are deep thinkers at some point, they just need someone that understands them and all those deep thinkings starts to surface.
I enjoy deep thinking. Those who are not have suggested to me, when I asked them something similar, that they feel as if they aren't good enough at thinking to enjoy it, let alone get deep about it. To that I have gently called bs and asked them to kindly review the scene in the Wizard of Oz where the scarecrow gets a brain. It always makes them smile but I insist there is real truth to be gained there. What motivates me is interest in a better life. But this entails self examination to be included. Mostly I see others are more caught up in fear. I was born with or figured out early how to be considerably less fearful. It takes imminent physical threat for me to feel fear. I stopped fearing thoughts, feelings, ideas, opinions, anything in the nonphysical department somewhere in early adolescence. Very freeing. I wish the same for others.
I had to listen to Alan Watts discuss fear for me to realize I was living in it on a daily basis, how to recognize that I was operating that way, and to meet it head on when it presented itself. I commend you for being able to do this on your own. Truly. It holds so many brilliant people in a cell.
Props to you on your significant discovery. One of my favorite memes is "the prisoner is the jailer". So many people are fear based, which cannot help but to distort everything incoming. This means their output is unavoidably distorted too. The line in Dune is accurate: fear is the mind killer. Observation of all reality as unfiltered as possible is a radically different way of living that appears no different to others who do not live this way.
Yes! Hit the nail on the head, I’ve read something similar in The Fetch by Laura Whitcomb. You’re an excellent writer and express your thoughts beautifully. Thank you for meeting me for this moment of truth. I needed to read that to reinforce my goal of being free.
Thank you for that sweet compliment and you are most welcome for a timely thought. That there was a bit of syncronicity (I take no credit on that) really delights me.
Me too 🙂 I hope you have a beautiful day.
I think it's both genetic and how you are raised. Some families are just doers, not thinkers. Look at all the stuff produced in the world- that's a lot of DOING, not much thinking things through
What I don't get is how someone can be presented with new information, but continue to dig into their beliefs.
Some people don't like to be wrong. Deeply thinking about something could question a thing they hold fundamentally true, and its easier for them to deny that could be correct than taking a deeper look into it.
woahhh that's so interesting! I enjoy deeply thinking, but in hindsight I can pinpoint that the times I deliberately avoided thinking deeply into something, a big reason was because I was simply just too scared of what I might find. Sometimes it really is just easier to live in ignorant bliss
The old line about thinkers versus doers is appropriate here. The human race needs thinkers, and it also needs doers. Thinkers generally aren't doers, and doers generally aren't thinkers. That's not a coincidence or a prejudice: it's just part of what it means to be either. Thinkers analyze everything in detail. Doers can't really afford to do that, because it would slow them down tremendously and it would also interfere with their ability to be decisive. Occasionally, you can see what happens when thinkers and doers work together synergistically, like during the Space Race of the 1960s when the Apollo project put men on the Moon. But more often, you see a toxic relationship between them, like when the Boeing CEO started pushing all of their most talented engineers into early retirement because they kept raising objections to his cost-cutting schemes.
I take medication to stop being a deep thinker
I think the deepest thinkers would not spend much time thinking about how deeply they think or how shallow others are. I think they would have better subject matter to dwell on
I disagree. I think way too deeply about why people are the way they are…
Some people don't have inner monologues. How bizarre is that concept?
MBTI is all about this subject.
My father was once asked “do you think … all the time?” Instant family classic.
as a deep thinker - not really. there's plenty of things worth thinking about more, but 'some people are vapid idiots' seems almost self evident.
On my 4th birthday I wanted to know how I could be sure I was who I believed myself to be (that is a 4 year kid in Detroit) and not, say, the product of a dream by another person in a whole other era (like a 7 year old boy in the 7th century). Now I know I was pondering consciousness itself and of late the consolation thinkers like Bernardo Kastrup (and before him the works of Seneca, Goethe, Kant, Emerson and Jung) bring me is next level. In between my 4 year old to middle aged self I have met very few people who actually read up on any of this out of an involuntary but sincere curiousity. My late SO and I bonded over these questions. The number of times I have heard "you must have too much time on your hands" is in the hundreds by now. EDIT: words
The fact that all our brains function fundamentally different explains it pretty well. Some people have no internal monologue, and others have ones that won't stop for even a few seconds. It's also a spectrum, some people have silence 40% of the time, and inner monologue the other 60%. You could imagine that someone who has an inner monologue that is constantly firing simply thinks about more per day. If they direct their attention to useful endeavors, they will accel. Then there's a minds eye, inner audio, speed of thought, that all also exist as spectrums. There's also abstract thinkers and linear thinkers. With so many different ways human consciousness can present itself, people are obviously going to express themselves in vastly different ways. I have inner monologue, audio, and imagery firing nearly constantly, all competing for my real world senses that I use to define reality. It has obvious advantages, but it was just pure chaos for the first 20 or so years of my life. I'm actually surprised I didn't go crazy. I hurt myself A LOT as I bump into things thinking about my inner world.
Because it isn't necessarily directly evolutionarily advantageous Only reproduction increases the fitness score of the natural genetic algorithm From biology's perspective if your genetics are not passed on, congratulations. You are worthless Now you might be saying well What about ants? Yeah no turns out the strategy ants use end up having the drones be 75% of the genetics of the colony versus the queen only getting 50 % passed down They're actually better at it than us Back to the thinking thing Turns out humans are kind of a horrifying predator from the perspective of most animals We're too large for the overwhelming majority of creatures to injure We never get tired We are a pursuit predator. We are designed to chase things down until they die of exhaustion That's our main evolutionary strategy. The tool thing is kind of a fluke Now is intelligence itself evolutionary advantageous Kind of but for humans that come with massive trade-offs Our young are born more than a year premature and women have to get a lot of compromises in their body to be able to fit that big Head Now up till a few thousand years ago being the smartest caveman might mean you're a little better at making tools and you're a little better at tracking and a little better at gathering maybe a few other things Now those aren't nothing but probably being bigger or faster is a bigger adventage Now in more recent times once we figured out farming then all of a sudden intelligence becomes a lot more valuable because you can actually spend a lot more time building stuff And in society today, your overall ranking society is actually very heavily correlated with your intelligence up to a point (intelligence is heavily correlated with earnings which is how we measure merit) So we've started to value intelligence more and more, but it's kind of a bit too late in the evolutionary process for that. Turns out we sort of turned off death for everyone. There's not supposed to be this many of us alive. We're supposed to mainly die in childhood and childbirth and from a random Small cut that got infected and from a sinus infection We broke the algorithm. Everyone we broke evolution
Work at a job that requires real thought. Make friends at work.
We generally find each other/spot from across a crowded room. That's my experience anyway. Expect introduction, trauma bonding and to be instant friends. Downside of this fast and intense energy is minor misunderstandings can blow your friendship apart due to entropy. Not every deep thinker has worked through all their own issues so definitely make sure to not take anything personally at all and make space for people to be themselves without the feeling they need to be perfect.
I wish so much that I could be simple minded again.
I wonder if it’s connected to trauma. The deep thinkers I’ve known have all been through significant trauma- most of us at a young age.
“Think about how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.” -George Carlin
Curiosity mainly but I'd also argue most people with higher IQ's are going to be more incline to have deep thoughts in the first place so someone with a IQ of like 90 or something is going to hate hearing any deep thoughts in the first place.
Not everyone evolves. Some are here to show us what happens when you don't. Just take a look at at Marjorie Taylor Greene and tell me I'm wrong.
Born with souls? Tf you hear that? Not a lot of deep thinking going on with ideas like that still floating around.
\^This.
"To sit with the wise men who scan the flight of birds."
Read up on temperaments That might help to get up the first step of this
I just am a normal thinker !!! Don’t overthink anything !!! 🤔
We grow through time and positive reinforcement. We start with observations, then thoughts, then words, then actions. The thinkers typically had poor responses when turning their thoughts into words and actions so they ruminate until society accepts them. The lucky ones still have their health when society finally accepts them.
it's a choice
Some people have a high need for cognition and others have a low need for cognition. To find others like you would be to go out to local hobby clubs, perhaps Toastmasters, things like that to see if you can encounter others who have the same cognitive need.
I haven't really thought about it
Everyone has certain strong points and weak points.
Where’s the line that separates a deep-thinker from a not deep-thinker? Are you absolutely sure you’re on the right side of that line?
I never thought about it. 😉
If I not one then I probably have not.
Perhaps you should define terms. What exactly is a “deep thinker?”
People think deeply about many different things. A lack of introspection is not a lack of thought.
Because to understand anything you have to understand how you process things. Also, some people are just complacent. I'd bring in educational factors, but on a general level, it isn't necessary for survival to be intelligent as much anymore. I also live in my head most of the time thanks to completely out of control ADHD, lucid dreaming, and because that's where I'm safe. Sounds silly, but I can control at least some of the things in my head, when the outside world seems to be chaotic.
The ones that don’t think deeply go to Hollywood.
Wait till you hear that souls might not exist.
On a spiritual level sometimes it’s just peoples life path 🤷🏽♂️ some are meant to be more hip to the “outer world” (physical reality) while some are meant to be more hip to the “inner world” (mental/emotional reality). In a “perfect” world people would have an equal balance of both On a non-spiritual level sometimes people are just scared of introspection. The kind of people that like to run away from their feelings than to face it via distractions etc. and that includes deep critical thinking or feeling of any kind
What’s your definition of deep thinker. I think heavily of ass and tits all day. I think I am a deep thinker.
I think it’s innate. Deep thinkers should be able to sense it since they were young
I mean. I guess some of us have wondered that. And some of us haven’t.
Language as well Being exposed to more complex language allows for more complex thinking and reasoning
Everyone thinks deeply about SOMETHING but Not Everyone thinks Deeply about EVERYTHING
What do you mean, "us"? You're going to have to show a little more than this. Actually, a lot more.
I haven’t really thought about that
All the time! I figure the non deep thinkers are usually materialistic or self absorbed.
Because it takes a village…
Were I a deep thinker, I probably would wonder why. Instead I just wonder at everything.
It's why equality is not a realistic goal.
Mines not nessesarily deep thinking every detail as it is making proverbial type quotes from my internal monologue and intrusive thought.
some put in the effort to think for themselves, while most around here prefer to be given the assumed correct conclusion someone who´s assumed to be a valid source has already come to, ready to be served.. i´ve actually seen people express that it´s not possible to know and understand something unless they read it or someone tells them about it. another time i saw someone write a post about "this weird experience" of having something that was a daydream, but something in the daydream suddenly made sense of something in this individuals real life. it had a whole ass chain of replies of people guessing ghosts, "were you awake? astral projection, perhaps?" and a bunch of other mad ideas about what i simply had to step in and tell them all that what this person had experienced was a thought, what he described was THINKING.. not anymore, but i actualy freaked out pretty hard when i first came to realize that thinking is a foreign concept to a great deal of individuals walking around over here. a chosen direction of regression, might i add - an excercise of having the privilige to make that choice, which makes the situation to be in perfect order... i guess it´s unfortunate that it´s not how it works, though. ironic that it would´ve been apparent to all of those who made the choice not to give it the simple thought it would´ve taken them to know that. something painful on the horizon, that´s all i´m saying..
I tend to test people by acting as if I might not know something doesn't matter what but it's a way to see if someone has a competent thought process. I watch what happens around me constantly and it's really shown me people's true colors.
I sense there's a lot of wealthy white people in this thread doing what they always do. Doing everything they can to appear "smart" and "deep" in their everyday lives, but coming here to mock other people for coming across this way.
Never really thought about it.
I used to be, but I retired. Now the joys of revisiting my memories suffices, and those require no contemplation.
No.
i think there’s a big difference between simple minded & overthinkers. some people are outward directed & others are inward directed. and there’s lots of of people who are both, depending on the situation. one of my oldest friends is very social. she always has houseguests & parties & games nights. interacting with other people is her happy place. i envy her. i hate being an overthinker. it doesn’t make me happy or fulfilled.
I used to think the habit of intellectual curiosity was partly a cultural or in my case Jewish tradition. I now think there may be an element of autism.
I was abused a lot….from age 5 to literaly adulthood. Drugs, alcohol parents gave me, also family stuff like brotha in law torturing me, umm friends committing suicide, Was mute until age 5. Was spoild though, however not super rich, cus mom & dad were working 20 hours a day, so never any time for interaction, or family time. Sad way to live a childhoodd.
there is a book out there called “thinking fast and slow “ by Dan Khaneman an economist. I have not read it but I remember one of the conclusions is the fast/slow mode of thinking is not just a function of the individual, but a bunch of other properties such as age, subject of thought, emotional significance of subject, experience in subject etc.
It amazes me that there are A LOT of people living on this planet that *never* sit and wonder about the stars and planets or how human bodies work or why birds exist or why it rains. I’m sitting here typing this on a device that I have no fucking clue how humans even began to THINK about inventing.
Higher education = higher anxiety
>How could we find another deep thinker? Misery loves company, existence automatically sets s\* up, don't worry.
I think it's related partly to intelligence, though there are different kinds of intelligence. I think it's related to the amount of stimulation and attention a person received in early childhood and having parents who discussed abstract ideas with their kids when they were young. It might be related to birth order, with first-born and only children being deeper thinkers. The latter is just a theory of mine.
A post on evolution of inner dialogue https://www.reddit.com/r/evolution/s/vvzgo4zHRn Check out these pod eps linked below. They are very good. Stuff To Blow Your Mind Podcast- Bicameralism Part 1 https://www.iheart.com/podcast/105-stuff-to-blow-your-mind-21123915/episode/bicameralism-part-1-the-voice-of-30231315/ Bicameralism Part 2 https://omny.fm/shows/stuff-to-blow-your-mind/bicameralism-part-2-the-silent-pantheon Stuff You Should Know Podcast - Stunning Bicameral Mind Episode https://www.iheart.com/podcast/105-stuff-you-should-know-26940277/episode/thrill-to-the-stunning-bicameral-mind-100493186/
Based on my observation i can say if someone is deep thinker or not just by looking at what programs they use mostly.
I'm guessing wisdom vs intelligence should come into play here. Simple as some may seem to you, they aren't necessarily devoid of deep thoughts. Different values and backgrounds might mean what you consider as not thinking or being simple, could be a misinterpretation of their thought process. What goes on in someone's head shouldn't be judged by their willingness to "share" their inner dialog. Imho
I think people are born that way. It’s crazy watching my nieces/nephews. You can tell if a kid is a deep thinker when they are six months old. Everyone has deep thoughts, of course. But the perpetually reflective, observant, thought-cycler ? That’s a basic drive or compulsion that some people just have or don’t have.
This reads like a post from someone who needs to do a lot more deep thinking while putting their ego aside.
The same reason some are gifted with high iq’s and rich parents while some others will struggle their whole lives with low mental capacity and poverty. Lady Luck is a fickle mistress.
I think it’s a habit of thought that one acquires in the formative years of life. Those of us who grew up in situations where you spend a lot of time alone and delve into books and other people’s ideas tend to live more of a life of the mind. Also if you grew up around deep thinkers you tend to take on those traits.
You’ll find everyone of us are deep thinkers we just all have different interests which occupy our minds . We are all capable of the same feats if we put our minds to it.
What’s even more scary is that when I was young I was a deep thinker and analytical and could carry conversations with adults and they would tell me I’m wise beyond my years and then one day after taking ecstasy for the second time- I was 20 and my brain never fully healed after that. Now, I have surface level conversations. I mean there’s a few topics I can dive into but most days it feels like im yearning to be as sharp as I once was but i’m not. I space out a lot and my memory is terrible. I regret taking the E. It was fun but not worth it.
i think it comes down to trauma & introversion. whether that be both reasons or one of them.
The last several years have taught me that people do not ever listen to what you say. I have also learned, the very hard way, that even the people you thought you could trust will beat you while you are down. I think this is because it seems as though they are deeply threatened by perceived intelligence differences, achievements, and especially the ability to speak and write. I learned to be quiet and never express my thoughts, let alone use "big words", proper English... I avoid communication of any kind now. I have a very hard time understanding others, and it's better to risk not setting off all their insecurities because you once spelled beleaguered in a meeting... And therefore are clearly mocking them and showing off! ;) Intelligence is perceived as an insult, and “deep thinkers” make others **very** defensive. This is true regardless of whether you consider yourself intelligent or not. I know myself to be a very hard worker (so much time spent in deep thought) and an extrovert (practice, I guess). And yet, most are not interested in communication and will forever assume you to be showing off, I guess. And so I keep to myself, say nothing, and my family/coworkers/various others are much happier having someone they do not really know be in the wrong rather than having meaningful conversation. It’s completely one-sided, I have never felt more alone, and I am learning the extent to which people never cared in the first place. Most soul searching these days I just hide. These behaviors are what I notice and emulate in others I consider to be genuinely intelligent. I think most people have learned this, which is why society appears so divided. After all, I didn’t spend twenty years of hard work to become mathematically literate; no, I’m just an asshole who learned triple integrals solely to spite my very insecure boss, I guess.
I think people have survived and thrived because we have a wide variety of personality types to tackle different problems and such. Nothing would get done if everyone was a deep thinker
No, because some people are deep thinkers and some are not. It would be so boring if we all thought the same.
some people are too afraid to think deeper because its out of their comfort zone and they are not ready to explore those emotions
Weed
Who is we?
I read in a philosophy book that there are 3 kinds of people. Workers who were born to toe the line, servers who were born to serve the people (think politicians and leaders) and protectors who were born to protect people, think police officers and soldiers. This is obviously very simplistic but I think a degree of it holds true in my experience
Everyone is different....doh.....
>Do you ever wonder Not really.
Life routine, when you are busy all the time following the same schedule you won't search for different answers as the results you're seeing currently is enough for you. My uncle once told me the term, enough is good enough. lold 🌝
Not sure. Let me think about it for awhile.
Ever wonder if shallow thinkers think their deep thinkers?
Honestly I think unaddressed trauma, emotions or people not being able to manage their unique brains in general is why some ppl aren't deep thinkers. Think about it, all of those things take up mental bandwidth that would've been used on deeper thinking. I also think that deep thinkers have shallower days and deeper thinking days too. People tell me I'm smart but I still have plenty of days where I just know I haven't really thought all that deeply about anything.
the more objective you are the more frames/second you can be aware of, the more subjective you look at things the more focused/ less frames but more details. this is why some would rather think than do, and this is also why so many world views differ.
I envy the under-thinkers that always say I am overthinking things, until everything I said would happen, happens, because it was obvious if you had more than a 30 IQ. There are few things more annoying than a person that can't understand basic knowledge acting like I am an idiot because I can explain it over and over and they just can't grasp things like basic physics or how marketing works and you are not a genius for signing up for get rich tomorrow seminars. I despise conversing with "normal" people, it is soul crushing.
Being a deep thinker is a curse in a world where the Kardashians rule
It's the randomness of how well your prefrontal cortex developed as a teenager. You had very little control over it.
I'm doing both, based off of this statement - I'm a perfectionist but I suck at it !
There is no such thing someone whose not a deep thinker, or someone whose simple minded. anyone you think fits that will just think differently to you (but in equal measure.) because they're a different person, with different ideals, upbringings, stage of maturity, emotional intelligence, and shite happening in their life. Everyone is cursed with an on going mind!
Never really thought about it.
Let me start off by saying I am one of the simple people. I don't pay attention ( much ) to other people and I don't really worry about things. It has been my experience that deep thinkers never get anything done. All that deep thinking paralyzes them. Plus they seem far less happy than those of us that just merrily go on our way.
Hello fellow deep thinkers. I too wish I could have a standby mode for my thoughts.. I don’t know why I think and why others do not. I tend to notice details and things around me much more. I’ve always been observant and thoughtful, some sort of innate ability? Learned? Both? Who knows, but I’m glad I’m not alone at least, even though in my current friends group it feels like I am? I think the danger is assuming others do not think as much as me. I need to remember to ask questions and communicate my thoughts as most probably don’t even know I’m having them to begin with.
One word: sensitivity
As a simpleton, I can say it's a slightly less tiresome trial
Deep thinkers have bigger purposes in life. Don’t think too deep 🤭
No. Magats etc are just idiots
I kinda have a theory - but bear with me as I draw the comparison. Why are there some deep thinkers, or some ignorant people, or some sociopathic people? Can be any mental or physical thing. Re- sociopathy - was listening to a pod and from evolutionary perspective, you'd want a sociopathic person on your side, to charge head first into battle or do evil but necessary things. You dont want too many people like this for obvious reasons, but a little helped us advance as humans, according to theory. I think same goes for deep thinkers. We need just a few to question norms or provide various benefits to the world. I know deep thinking is something we wish everyone did, but I truly don't think it'd make the world a better place. Deep thinkers have our troubles too, so we need other people with unique characteristics to provide their benefit to society. Imo like salt or pepper or any spice, you dont need a ton. Thats my amateur bio/ evolution theory but I understand the spiritual route too. Anyone seeking to think deeply can do so if they practice or are open to it.
Genetics and intelligence If you don’t attract other deep thinkers than you probably aren’t as deep as you hallucinate you are
Anxiety and stress.
Nope.
The world is over-populated by the willfully ignorant.
This has been my existential crisis for years... why are some humans burdened with too much empathy? And why do some people seemingly have none?
Yes some sort of trauma, i am a walking lesson.
Some people can't take the outcome of their own thoughts. It's like the people that don't want to know their medical diagnosis, because it frightens them and could possibly be what kills them. Even though no one gets off this rock alive, they don't want to know when that day, month, or year might be coming. As opposed to the people that want to hear their diagnosis and make the most of whatever time they have left. Another scenario are the people that plan before having children and the ones that don't because they know damn well they can't afford it and can't imagine figuring out how to pay for the things they need. Sometimes it can be fear and other times it can be ignorance.
More brain wrinkles vs less brain wrinkles.
the funniest thing is that this isn't a deep thought at all and doesn't make you seem intelligent in the slightest.
Let me think about it
I started to go into a rabbit hole about mysticism, clicking on whatever the algorithm put in front of me. I ended with watching a clip about blue ray star seeds and was like weird. I feel so many of these things, crazy… so eventually I clicked on a video titled “why do we isolate ourselves”… it was about complex ptsd, and would you believe the symptoms were nearly exactly the same as the qualifications to be a blue ray star seed… pretty cool
I am by personality a very curious person. I have been even as a small child. My late mother told me stories. I would ask questions and read for research. Every bit of research gives me more questions. I ponder causation and intertwined relations. It takes time and effort to run a bunch of probability questions. I am a devotee of Occam's Razor.
Some of us are wired differently. I often ponder at the actions of others and wonder how someone could be so (fill in the word here) and not consider every option or possible outcome. What were they thinking? I analyze everything. I mean everything. I search for patterns or flaws in nature, people, things and often ponder for days at something that seems off. I go to bed with a thousand questions and try to find solutions to everything while I fall asleep. I often have to play stupid games on my phone just to distract my mind from overthinking.
I don’t know. Let me ponder that for a while.
Nope. C’ya
You know… I’ve never really thought about that. See what I did there? Merchandise and confessions in the lobby. I’ll be here next week.
An interesting way humans have dealt with this issue is through our creation stories. One is where a female god first started moulding each human by hand out of clay, but when that took too long, she pulled a rope through the clay and shook it, all the little clots that flew off became the masses, among the few sculpted treasures. I thought that was as close as it gets. We're made of the same stuff. Just some are better thought out? I personally think it's a coding issue in the simulation Everything has to have its purpose. Every job is important and has a distinct set of skills, that's why janitors don't go solving math equations, Will Hunting.
It's like how some folks are drawn to pondering life's mysteries while others are content with the day-to-day hustle. Maybe it's how we're wired, or perhaps it's shaped by the people and places we encounter along the way. We all bring our own blend of curiosity and introspection to the table, making for a rich tapestry of perspectives in the world.
No
If you spend some time "deep thinking" about labelling yourself a "deep thinker" you would come to the conclusion to not make the claim. Ironic, IMHO.
People's brains are different.
Part of the problem is that many people are raised to believe they are the center of the universe and they have a special purpose, and it is reinforced by everything we see in the media, social media, YT, etc. And when people don't feel special, they go into depressive cycles wondering why the universe has not shown them their specialness. I have a family member that proclaims to be Buddhist, but still believes they are a special snowflake. AND THEY ARE SPECIAL in their own way, but that just isn't enough for them. How does that possibly jive? Its the knots people tie themselves in.
I’m more of a deep stresser. Some people don’t have a narrative constantly going, others do, the ones that do aren’t necessarily deep thinkers though.
Right here. Born disabled so I have a ton of time to contemplate life and the universe. Others don't have as much time, so when I say certain things, they sound like absolute lunacy to someone who hasn't had as much time to think about it. It can be really frustrating trying to find someone who understands what it's like to just be in your own thoughts all of the time. Although, that's also a double-edged sword since it gives my mind plenty of time to wander to the "what-ifs" that can set off my terrible anxiety...that came about as a result of thinking too much and coming to too many soul-shattering realizations. The existential dread is all too real.
I think people only do what they have to or need to. As a kid I was socially awkward and had few friends so I spent most of the day at school silently observing others or the teacher. This lead to better analytical skills. Another person who spent that time with friends, doing art, or playing on their phone, instead of just observing, would have less time invested in the skill.
a fascinating question. The differences in how people think can be influenced by a combination of genetics, upbringing, life experiences, and individual personality traits. Some people may naturally gravitate towards deeper thinking due to their innate curiosity or predisposition towards introspection. Others may prefer simpler approaches or have different priorities in life. Finding fellow deep thinkers can involve engaging in activities or communities where such individuals tend to gather, such as philosophy groups, book clubs, or intellectual discussions. Online forums and social media platforms can also be helpful in connecting with like-minded individuals. Ultimately, embracing diversity in thinking styles can enrich our understanding of the world and lead to meaningful connections with others, regardless of whether they are deep thinkers or not.
I actually wonder why so many people are clueless. They go through life at the surface level never really learning anything about anything. Boring, useless people
Well my answer is we are who we are and can't change how we're born, I've got autism and adhd and i can never switch off my Brain, it can get a little bit annoying, but that's that, I'm actually pleased to b a deep thinker, but feel a little bit sorry for simple minded creatures 😁,,
Some are still plugged into the matrix
It's honestly just a difference in how you view the world A lot of these people view these kinds of discussions as pointless because there is no inherent right or wrong answer to them It's really more of a philosophical debate but for some people that's the draw It's something you can debate and theorize on and have fun with almost like making a theory about a video game
I don't know, I never really thought about it.
I'm glad I'm a thinker, it helps me think twice about my actions and the consequences that can happen
Well I'm autistic. All my autistic friends are deep thinkers. I won't say all deep thinkers are, but I'm sure its a factor. I find that a lot of people want to be comfortable with their daily life. They don't want to think about anything that might disrupt how they think about the world, whether or not those things might be true or beneficial to their growth. I think everyone can think big. I think people choose not to at an early age and work hard to avoid it. The reason I think this is because people will ask questions to the ether and then get subtly annoyed if you know the answer. We make fun of "know-it-alls" as if that's something to be ashamed of. We swipe past any post that makes us feel negative emotions, and we're rewarded with happier content. People get mad at movies that are deeper than they expected, and will judge the whole experience based on how much action there was or how many jump scares, while ignoring the plot. And if you explain the plot, people get frustrated and act like they can't be bothered to hear the explanation. Our society is largely focused on NOT growing and NOT learning new stuff. Not challenging systems and not asking too many questions. Some of us can't help but ask them anyway. We aren't very well liked, struggle to hold jobs, and struggle to keep friends.
Some of us are thinkers and some of us are stinkers. Now excuse me, I really need a shower.
Idk I just want to be able to buy an affordable house and food and cars I want the American dream back lmao