# Overthinking versus Overworking By:: [[Brian Heath]] 2024-04-01 Overthinking something implies leaning too heavily towards inaction. Overworking is on the other side of the spectrum, which implies leaning too heavily towards action. While the universal principle of moderation indicates that one should avoid either in excess, is it better to overthink or overwork? In other words, is there a greater upside or lower downside if one were to overthink or overwork? Notice the subtlety here of both higher upside and lower downside. Rarely do we think about both perspectives when considering alternatives. Concerning overthinking, one's inaction could mean avoiding unnecessary work as one spends so much time thinking that the problem's urgency passes. However, it could also mean that one misses out on some lived experiences and may experience FOMO (fear of missing out). One typically assumes that one is missing out on a positive experience. But, one may miss out on an entirely negative experience. So, those who overthink tend to have less lived experiences, both good and bad, and likely less energy expended on fighting the universe's inevitable forces. Thus, an overthinker tends to have fewer ups and downs and lives a mediocre life by today's societal standards. What about the overworker? Here, one's tendency to leap and persevere means one expends a lot of energy in potentially unproductive ways. But, often, perseverance is all that one needs to be in the top quartile of any group. As a result, the overworker likely achieves a higher status but at a steep price of inefficiency. Thus, an overworker has a higher upside but with wild fluctuations in positives and negatives as they do rather than discern. In a society that rewards status above all else, it is little wonder that our socioeconomic systems push people towards overworking and away from overthinking. Within the business realm, there is a common saying of paralysis by analysis, which belittles the overthinker. On the other side, we only tell children to think before they act, as if once someone is an adult, thinking is no longer as essential. This saying is trying to get at controlling one's emotions, not the action itself. The paralysis by analysis statement does not have this ulterior motive. Stop thinking and start doing. The societal bias is clear. So, why is this blog and the companion podcast called *Don't Overthink This*? For the ironic sincerity (and for the clicks). #### Related Items [[Overthinking]] [[Work]] [[Perseverance]] [[Paradigms]] [[Society]] [[Metamodernism]]