thinking about overthinking
I wonder what separates productive reflection from overthinking. Is the only difference whether or not we like it? If I think those thoughts while feeling calm and motivated, I call it self-reflection. If I do the same thing but with feelings of self-hatred and hopelessness, it is overthinking. There was once something someone wrote caught my eye about the difference between philosophy and overthinking. Overthinking doesn't have a purpose, doesn't have an end goal, is destructive to the person. Philosophy has a focus - a question to think about, where the goal is to reason out an answer. It is neutral, the goal is to produce knowledge, instead of something that happens aimlessly inside a troubled mind.