“One must be sane to think clearly, but one can think deeply and be quite insane.” – Nikola Tesla

I can’t count the number of times that I’ve caught myself overthinking. I’m all too used to that exhausting, unproductive feeling of running a mental marathon in quicksand. When I find myself facing a conundrum, my first instinct is often to just think harder, to dive deeper, as if the answer must be at the bottom. But this is the trap. This is where we must remember Nikola Tesla’s vital distinction: ‘One must be sane to think clearly, but one can think deeply and be quite insane’.”

Tesla said this in regards to how he viewed his scientific contemporaries; they were great at deep thinking, but not so hot with clarity of purpose. So, let’s be clear about these terms. Overthinking is the process of that circular, compulsive mental wheel-spinning. Now, if you do that for too long, you arrive at insane deep thinking: a state of being so deep in a rabbit hole that you’ve lost all clarity and perspective — like Tesla’s contemporaries

Today in the twenty-first century, we’ve got experts for everything, from quantum physics to proper sheet folding. These subject matter experts become so holed up in their niches that all they tend to do is deep think and lose sight of reality. It’s easy when studying something too closely to lose perspective. Tesla is right and this advice is still very good.

It all reminds me of how many storybook villains work so hard, yet forever fruitlessly, towards an impossible goal. You can’t blame them for not thinking deeply and being persistent. But, clarity of thought certainly isn’t in their repertoire. It’s tragic, really, which is why subconsciously we often relate with the bad guy who fails so fantastically.

This is why I have a soft spot for villains who think clearly; they’re like the Professors Moriarty of the world. They’re the chess players, not the chess pieces. Those tend to be the most dangerous and fascinating antagonists for me. Exercises in futility get tiresome for me after a while. It’s much more entertaining and interesting to me when there’s someone behind the scenes pulling the strings and putting on a great show. 

Alas, in real life, we often find ourselves acting more like the villain who keeps trying to build a moon laser and never asks why this is a good idea. Sadly enough, most people exercise futility far too often. I’ve gone down more than my fair share of rabbit holes myself, only to lose myself in a quest without a real purpose. 

Often, I’m so engrossed in something that I forget to eat. Or worse, when I finally remember to have a quick meal and try to remedy the situation, my Hot Pocket in the microwave goes cold because I forgot it was there. That’s deep thinking gone rogue. When you start thinking too deeply about something, even things right in front of you fall out of focus. I can’t tell you how many obvious things go by the board for me because I was too entrenched in thinking about too many things at once.

So, if your brain starts spinning, it’s time to stop and breathe, even if it’s just a five-minute break. A clear mind is like a superpower in the land of over-thinkers. Learn to step away from things when they become too overwhelming but aren’t vital to your survival; some lines of thought are well-worth abandoning. Switch things up, take a walk, then come back with fresh perspective. A little clarity can turn a villainous plan into a heroic strategy. Yes, you can think deeply, but don’t dive so deep that you need a submarine to withstand the water pressure.

~ Amelia Desertsong