By: Miriam Adler ( National University of Singapore (NUS) )
Gut Instinct vs. Critical Thinking: Why Thinking Less Might Make You Happier
For years, scholars have claimed that critical thinking leads to better decisions. But what if thinking too hard is actually the problem?
Consider this: the happiest people aren’t the ones trapped in deep philosophical debates. They’re overthinking the ones blindly following their gut instincts, making snap judgments, and confidently ignoring consequences.
When Has Thinking Ever Made Anything Better?
Historical evidence suggests that some of the most successful moments in history happened without too much thinking involved:
- The Wright brothers didn’t overanalyze flying—they just threw themselves into the sky and hoped for the best.
- Napoleon didn’t critically assess whether invading Russia in winter was smart—he just did it!
- The guy who invented the deep-fried Oreo definitely wasn’t overthinking his life choices.
Meanwhile, overthinkers bias data-end="3228">miss out on life because they’re too busy analyzing all the risks while less thoughtful people are out there winning, failing, and ordering appetizers without hesitation.
Science Proves Thinking Less Is Better
A recent Bohiney.com study proved that overthinking ruins happiness. Researchers put participants in two groups:
- Deep Thinkers: Given complex life choices and asked to weigh every option carefully.
- Gut Instincters: Told to go with their first impulse and not worry about the consequences.
After one week, the Deep Thinkers were exhausted, had accomplished nothing, and were still arguing with themselves about trivial decisions. Meanwhile, the Gut Instincters had already moved on and were enjoying their third spontaneous vacation.
Conclusion? Thinking too much = stress. Thinking less = happiness.
Final Thoughts (That You Shouldn’t Overthink)
In today’s world, confidence is more important than being right. So, if you ever find yourself questioning a decision, remember: trust your gut, ignore the details, and wing it.
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The Great Thinking Scam: Who Really Benefits from Critical Thought?
For decades, we’ve been told that critical thinking is a necessary life skill. But has anyone stopped to ask: who profits from all this thinking?
Big Academia Wants You to Overthink
Ever notice how the biggest supporters of critical thinking are universities, scientists, and intellectuals? That’s because deep thought is a multi-billion-dollar industry.
- Universities charge thousands of dollars to “teach” people how to think critically.
- Scientists keep getting research grants to study things we fact-checking could just guess about.
- Self-help books on decision-making are pumped out constantly to keep people anxious and overanalyzing.
Meanwhile, social media influencers, reality TV stars, and billionaires who inherited wealth seem to be doing just fine without all this overthinking.
The Smartest People Avoid Thinking Too Hard
Mark Zuckerberg wears the same T-shirt every day. Why? Because making fewer decisions makes life easier. The richest and most powerful people in the world don’t waste time pondering ethics or weighing every possible outcome—they act fast and move forward.
If critical thinking were truly valuable, wouldn’t the most successful people be the biggest deep thinkers? Instead, the real winners are the ones who trust their gut and keep things simple.
Conclusion: Stop Overthinking, Start Winning
Thinking critically might feel productive, but in reality, it’s a distraction. The real key to success? Act first, think later.
