Can you think too much?

In response to last week’s question, "Can you think too much?," my birthday bud Jon replied, "Well, yes..or maybe not....I think...but I'm not sure. Yeah, probably, but then again...can I get back to you? I'd like to mull it over for a while. No, I know..."

My dog rescue friend Kate declared, "Definitely," to which my dad's beach buddy Bob added, "Yes, and it hurts."

My sailing friend Scott wrote, "I don’t know.  Let me think about it and get back to you" to which my membership friend Vivian concurred, "Just wait.  I have to think about it!"  And then my product management friend Doug provided clarity, "I don't think that you can think too much.... Well maybe you can???  I don't know for sure... but let me think about it."   See my IT friend Corey's thesis at the bottom of this email.

My college roomie John explained that Scott, Vivian and Doug, and many corporations have what "I call analysis paralysis!"

My neighbor Al responded, "Usually I have no problem thinking and concentra ....... Oh look at that hummingbird!"

My organizational behavior guru Marya observed, "Based on what I can tell, we aren't thinking enough!  Oh, we are talking enough, LOL, but we aren't thinking nearly as much as we should.  ;-)  " To this, my equestrian friend Royce added, "Thinking is, indeed, an arduous task, and, therefore, I am going to find another cactus button to reveal what I am suppose to be thinking about."

My writing and sailing Rich shared, "According to my wife the less thinking I do the happier I will be. If I do need to know what to think she will be there to tell me. All of this started some 30 thirty years ago when the preacher asked me "Do you take this woman..." and she said, "he does"."

My cycling friend Ted noted, "Yes you can think too much!! I did that on your last question ( Is there time in Eternity?) and couldn't come up with a response!"  And my technology friend Kosol provided a different example, "Yes, thinking too much happens when you try to respond to someone and take forever, then they look and stare at you waiting for a response while you're sitting there with a blank face.  The whole thing becomes awkward.  Then you end up feeling dumb the whole evening and wonder if the other person who asked you the question thinks you're dumb too. Then it gets really awkward."

And then my friend Kelly shared his limits, "Only if you’re currently being beaten to death…  At that point it’s time to stop thinking and start pepper spraying."

Please share your thoughts about this week's "things that make you go 'Hmmm' “:

What is the opposite of fireworks?

Love truly, Laugh uncontrollably. And never regret anything that makes you smile!

Hal

Happy Birthday USA, and all of its citizens.  We are a tremendous melting pot of ideas and innovation that coexist, making this one of the best places in the world to live.

A thesis from my friend Corey:   I have definitely “thought too much” so I know you can.  In fact, in reading through this email I am composing I believe I am thinking too much.  The interesting part is that I’m not sure if others think too much.  Thus the reason for the question right?  If I were a betting man (which I’m not) I would bet that most people think too much and they know they are doing it and some more than others.  So, if in the back of your head you ponder the question “Am I thinking too much” then you’ve just accomplished it good or bad.  Maybe the question should be, “while I’m thinking too much what was the end result”?    In the business world, especially sales, this happens more often than you would like AND IT JUST HAPPENS.  The result is a lot of minutes/hours wasted.  Sometimes you can “out think” your customer or colleague so I recommend sticking to the KISS rule and Keep IT Simple.  Not only will you have less stress in your life, you will likely live longer by allowing certain things to just “happen”.  So another good question may be “how do you avoid thinking too much”?  That is interesting as well and some will just go on their gut instinct and it’s done.  Some will pick up a baseball bat or golf club and take a break allowing their mind to escape the issue at hand and relax.  This is a great topic and I would love to hear what others do to avoid thinking too much.  If there is such a thing.  :-)

Thanks to Demetri Martin, Steven Wright and George Carlin for the inspiration.

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