I first thought those who were able to ‘just do’ or accomplish simple yet hard tasks were the perfect amount of dumb. There must be so little going on in their brains that they don’t get distracted like me. Not like me, introspective, self-aware, more intelligent, better than them.
It’s that kind of hubris that gives you a way out, an excuse. Because if only they knew how much goes through my mind, how much I weigh every decision, predict every possible outcome, and understand how it will affect everyone… If only they knew.
A key theme in the show House is Dr. Gregory House’s suffering. It is tied to his inconceivable intelligence, and throughout the show he literally envies the mentally disabled. It is the suffering we must endure knowing more, seeing more, feeling more.
I’m becoming more and more convinced that intelligence is not the driving factor of over-thinking. Lack of self-confidence causes us to ruminate and go down endless rabbit holes with ourselves just to find no right answer. I am not saying things must be black and white but thinking about the grey, the entire spectrum of a single decision, will get our physical selves nowhere. Perhaps there are use-cases where certain stoicism and introspection can improve our understanding of our Id but there comes a time when thinking won’t make me healthier, thinking won’t make me richer, thinking won’t make my sex amazing, thinking won’t make me happier.
The ability to stay present, be confident in who I am, and make decisions that align with my values, my Superego, is what will balance the scales. Doing and not thinking is the forces required for the pendulum to swing, not stay stagnant.
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