#intellectual flexibility

And it’s something to be guarded against, in ourselves and others.

But why do people fall into these “always” and “never” mental traps?

Part of it is because people often don’t consider the limits of their knowledge in open-ended terms.

But also because people don’t know what they don’t know or even when they don’t know it.

This kind of thinking, in either instance, is a sign of overthinking or underthinking.

Those approaches close off any additional consideration by way of stern absolutism that is embedded in words like never and always.

Once always or never get used, overthinking or underthinking take over and mark points of no return.

And maybe that doesn’t matter if all we’re doing is shouting into said void.

Voids don’t have directions, and points of no return are mostly meaningless.

It’s the kind of existential drift that people experience when they feel like they can “never X” or “always Y” when X and Y aren’t really “always” or “nevers” in the truest sense of the words.

Few things are, but accepting them as such makes them so.

So now we’re in a directionless void, past a nonexistent point of no return, and disoriented as we drift into nothingness.

That’s what happens when perception runs into definitive non-conclusions like always and never.

It’s like drawing a sea monster on a map of the ocean and writing, “Here be monsters.” 

Never, always, and words like them are the cartographical equivalent of a hand-drawn Kraken on a nautical map.

And that’s why it’s important to avoid using absolutes and to consider a range of possibilities for a more balanced and realistic perception. 

Absolutes set us up for failure because the world is too complex and unpredictable to be accurately described by such black-and-white terms. 

We're closing ourselves off from growth and change when we say, "I will never be able to do this…" 

And implying that a problem is somehow immutable when we say, "This will always be a problem." 

Neither is helpful.

Not in the short term and certainly not in the long run.

Overthinkers may use these signifiers as a way to feel a false sense of control…

While underthinkers may use them to avoid deeper contemplation and remain entrenched in their narrow view of the world. 

Both overthinking and underthinking are reductionist approaches to understanding the world, as they both involve simplifying complex issues and reducing them to a single perspective. 

This reductionism can be problematic because it fails to consider the complexity of reality, leads to a distorted understanding of the world, and can have consequences in decision-making and problem-solving. 

Instead of using absolute terms or phrases, it's important to approach the world with an open mind.

But not so open that our brains fall out.

We’re still responsible for our thoughts and feelings, and we have a sense of purpose when we start with intentionality and form our worldview from there.

In service to a growth mindset (in the specific) and an agile mind (in the general), find solutions to overthinking and underthinking by stripping away the language that facilitates both.

In other words, never say always and never say never.