Yep, we’re bringing you another article on the curse of overthinking. Why? Because we’re overthinking it, of course.
by Thorin Klosowski
During every conversation I have, I analyze everything about the other person. I’m looking at their eyes, watching body language, and listening for different keywords. I’m reading between the lines with each social interaction and never taking anything at face value. It’s making life more difficult than it needs to be.
Writing for Lifehacker has taught me a lot about social interaction. I know how to watch for lies, read body language, and spot fallacies. These are useful tricks to have, but when I do it in every conversation, I overthink it.
I got here because I’ve read (and written) so many articles about communication that I’ve over-hacked communication. Every problem has a scientifically proven formula for a desired outcome, right? Communication doesn’t always work that way, though. I approach conversations like a mystery that needs to get solved because I’ve come to fancy myself as a kind of Sherlock Holmes grade armchair psychologist. If this sounds like you, I’m here to help you learn from my mistakes. I’ve come up with a set of guidelines for myself to keep this from happening….