To think that some people are deeper thinkers than others.

[bananayellow]

I'm not talking about troubles that are on your mind at the moment. Just general thinking.

I had a rare, nice, long, unrushed shower today and was thinking about something in my past that was a good memory. I realised that I do most of my thinking on those rare occasions. I'm obviously not a deep or frequent thinker. I tend to live in the present.

Aibu to think that most people probably spend more time than I do, reminiscing about the past or thinking about the state of the world?

How much time do you spend reflecting on things?

banana I don't regret things either. But it doesn't stop me from exploring where every other possible path might have led! Just out of curiosity.

To me what you are describing is not necessarily deep thinking? I think it's more escapism from every day.

Deep thinking would be exploring an issue, looking at it from different angles, and possibly overthinking.

I can spend lots of time lost in thought but have a tendency toward anxiety so I try to avoid too much introspection. I love reading and that's how I get my escapism.

I'm glad it's not just me that rehearses unlikely scenarios, converses and reminisces all the time! I feel that I'm an expert in over-thinking every detail!

Love snowman's list of unconnected thoughts, that is just the sort of thing my brain gets filled up with.
Plus, I now need to know how Roman women washed their hair

I overthink everything, to the point that it's actually not useful at all. I have to have a conversation or write things down to get my thoughts actually clarified, and it leads to a lot of worrying and anxiety.

I have at least three or four thought tracks running at any one time in my head as well so I get easily sidetracked because I can only focus on about one and a half at once. The others are there but I'm not really paying attention, they are background noise. I easily forget things, especially when they are important. I talk a lot, too, waffling and going off on tangents.

My mum calls it "chatterbox brain". I find it really difficult to empty my mind of thought, you know, how you have to do for meditation or yoga. The technique where you imagine a sky and put all the thoughts onto clouds and float them away helps, but I have to concentrate on it and it doesn't work to isolate a thought thread. The only way to do that is to talk or write. I talk (out loud) to myself when I'm alone.

I suspect more recently that I actually have ADHD which is what makes it difficult for me to sort out all of the constant noise in my brain.

Actually I'm not really sure this isn't normal - I mean everybody has multiple "voices" inside don't they? Not in a multiple personality kind of way, just in a sort of "Well, what about this?" "But no, because of that" "Have you considered the other option?" "If I followed option A then X, Y, Z would happen, but if I followed option B then X won't and Y might and Z is unlikely" (except they don't actually "say" all of that because they don't need to talk using language because it's all me, so it's like those individual ideas flitting back and forth in a split second and I have to almost grab them to slow them down and look at them.)

But then I didn't really know until recently that most people don't have a song stuck in their head 100% of the time. That it's more of an occasional annoyance for most people rather than a constant kind of internal soundtrack.

I've just realised it's really confusing to try to explain how your brain works.

Equal I have done that

Yes - I find my mind wandering to things like that Norks - not helped by a DS who is fascinated by history and asks the most random questions.

happy2bhomely I think we are quite alike!

I tend to not regret things in the past, even if they aren't good, or if I wouldn't repeat them, because I believe they have made me the person I am, so there is no point regretting things.

See, I have always SAID this. But in reality...

I cannot describe how reassuring it is to know that other people think like this! I can really relate to that feeling of a rabbit hole and of my head being so full with random stuff that it pushes out important information.

I have even caught myself scripting an AIBU thread mentally, where I am the only one replying, but my answers are all different.

I do think that it has benefits though. I think about every good moment too. Nothing good passes me by. I appreciate the moment and take mental snapshots. I consider how lucky I am at least 5 times a day.

I love a good wikipedia spiral. Great stuff :)

I would like that happy. But I feel like I have lost even that recently. I have an awful short term memory and end up feeling the need to be "plugged in" to things constantly - screens etc.

For example I need to make DS' lunch and go to bed I had plans to do so an hour and a half ago.

(I'm in a different timezone, am not that old...)

I can't empty my head of thought.

I can empty my head of logical thought processes when I'm dozing/napping tho. You know when you're half asleep and you just get random disconnected thoughts flowing through you.

Ooh yes, many's the time when mentally composing a MN thread and imagining the responses I'd get has helped me think through an issue.

I spend practically my whole life 'thinking' :) I wish I'd been born somewhere where philosophy's a profession, that would suit me. I don't spend a lot of time ruminating over past mishaps: I analyse them, to learn from them, and write endless journals which I throw away every ten years or so.

The shower's a brilliant place for having ideas! Walks are good for that, too, but it has to be a walk for walking's sake rather than 'going' somewhere. I used to have ideas while doing my makeup in the morning. I don't wear makeup very often now - but that's an outcome of some of my thinking, so I probably won't start again Until I've had a rethink ...

Hmm well actually I seem to forget most experiences once they're over. I remember what people have said how they said it and what they looked like saying it but then I forget every other detail! I'm awful with directions and how things looked in a situation etc. My over interpreting of the conversations I have with people pushes everything away.

Heh, Bertie, today I learned some stuff about mediaeval art & medicine, then discovered the fascinating story of Bertrand du Guesclin. None of which I was looking for ...

Ha! DH and I have entirely different memory styles - he remembers what we did, where we did it, who we were with, what music was around at the time etc. I forget all of that stuff but can recall conversations from decades ago.

mentally composing a MN thread and imagining the responses I'd get

Oh, no, do you end up telling yourself you're selfish/stupid/ugly/weird in 73 different ways?

Oh dear I never think like this. I move on and forget many things.
It is protective for me. If I dwelled on some things I would become sad.

Oh, no, do you end up telling yourself you're selfish/stupid/ugly/weird in 73 different ways?

Um, no? Perhaps because I don't hang out on AIBU that much, but my imaginary MNers are much more helpful, and sensible.

Sorry, Equal, it was meant to be a little joke.

I'm in the brain constantly spinning camp. Past, present and future stuff all whizzing about.
I've always bemused when people say "Empty your mind" as a precursor to something relaxing. Giving myself permission to run with the stuff is actually more relaxing than trying to stop it.