"You think too much."

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How many of you get this comment from people a lot? I've been told this repeatedly, ever since I was a teenager.

Oh, if I had a nickel, for every time I heard this...

Yes, even my therapist said that... I heard it a lot of times. But I never thought it was something to be ashamed of. Being a thinker when everybody else was emotional has definitely helped me in many crisis situations...

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Probably 75% Aspie, 25% NT... and 100% ADHD

Aspie-quiz results:
Aspie score: 138 of 200 / NT score: 78 of 200 => Very likely an Aspie.

I've occasionally heard that I am too emotional, but the remarks of thinking too much vastly exceed them.

Yup; I'm always being told I think too much - but it's what I do. I can't not think about things.

Yup. I get this all the time too.

Oh yes I have...

But I'm not sure if I really consider this a negative thing in my case. I value having an analytical mind - it'll make my chosen career (psychology) much easier.

I don't get told that I think too much but I do get told that I "over-think" things.

Could this be what people are really meaning to say when they say "you think too much?"

Although the two are very different ideas -- over thinking things means coming to clumsy conclusions after wasting too much time processing something while thinking "too much" is a sort of a compliment -- most people's use of language is so imprecise that I could easily see people meaning the former when they actually say the latter.

Good point, Sparrowrose. I think they tend to mean "over-think" in such a context. I don't really take such a remark personally - I have heard far worse - but it's interesting how often it comes up in conversation, regardless of people involved.

Oh yea do I get this. At what point does it occur to people that they think too little?

I get the "you think too much" line sometimes. I got it way more when I was younger.

I am hyper analytical type, however I know there is a link between neurosis and analytical thinking.

There is a point here, analytical thinking is great, however you need to be able to train yourself to break out of it when it is getting out of hand and taking over your life. You need to be able to apply it selectively as a tool.

Although people do say things in a stupid way, don't be naive in thinking that there is nothing to what they say.

The emotional side of of the brain helps break out of logical loops, which can fatigue the brain, and it cause neglect critical tasks, which help maintain mental health. Also if you can't sleep because of thinking too much, it is going to get progressively worse.

One of the myths of logical thinking is it derives absolute answers, when in reality most things can be endlessly analyzed over countless levels. So it can be an impairment if you cannot break and surmise, and be decisive.

I have heard this off and on throughout my life as well--most often in a negative context--and I'm still unclear as to exactly what the speaker means by it.

The phrase seems to mean something different to different people, depending on the situation. I think this happens partly because it's one of those phrases that catches on, like, "It is what it is," a catch phrase that's way overused for my taste as it too often gets applied meaninglessly.

To me, the idea that I am thinking too much suggests that I am in danger of the electrical impulses in my brain overheating and causing a combustible relay such as fusion, implosion or explosion. Or maybe this too much thinking is filling my head to the brim with thoughts, causing it to expand. In this case, I might tip over from too many thoughts.

An idea occurs to me, though. If saying I think too much is a way of telling me that I am obsessing or perseverating, then this is helpful news indeed, for once I get going it can be hard to stop. I really think that next time I hear someone say I think too much, I am going to ask what exactly he or she means.