it's not a phase mom

i think that whatever rick is calling himself or however wiped his memory is, he is naturally a problem solver, and that will never leave him. he can't just exist peacefully forever. eventually his attempts to solve problems with his intelligence will create their own problems. and trying to solve THOSE problems will lead to even more problems to solve. maybe he does that subconsciously because self-sabotage is more stimulating than a balanced existence. he can never leave well enough alone and so will never achieve lasting peace

and in the end, he thinks if he can just be a little smarter, he can fix everything. he still thinks the solution to his problems is to solve them harder. like even when he gets a flat tire he overcomplicates the fuck out of fixing it. "too good for a tow?" "too impatient." those two lines are the summation of why ted is still a rick. they are why rick can never be happy