Be Brave Friday
The Bravery of Thinking Deeply: How to Be More Human (Without Imploding)
I had a car ride by myself today. And that meant that I couldn’t distract myself from my thoughts. So, I have all kinds of anxiety about this car ride. Why?
Because when I can’t distract myself, it means that I think deeply.
Let’s be honest: thinking deeply is kind of terrifying.
Or maybe that’s just me.
To me, thinking deeply can be like spelunking into the cave system of your own mind, armed with nothing but a flickering headlamp and the vague hope that you won’t disturb the metaphorical bats or zombie hamsters lurking in the depths.
And yet, here’s the wild thing about it—deep thinking is one of the most profoundly human things we can do.
But in a world that rewards speed, efficiency, and surface-level engagement (scroll, like, move on, repeat, repeat again, repeat another time), deep thinking is practically an act of rebellion, right?
It takes guts to sit with a question, to roll an idea around in your brain like a pebble in your palm, to feel something instead of numbing it with distractions and their super sexy dopamine hits.
It’s brave to think deeply, because thinking deeply leads to emotional breakthroughs, and emotional breakthroughs are messy.
Beautiful, but messy.
At a place where I drove to today, one of the teachers asked me about AI and how some of his students don’t want to think deeply—to create an opinion paper with their own opinions, to write their own essay. It’s easier to feed the information into a prompt and go with it.
Thinking deeply about a question—even a moral question—is basically seen as a chore.
How much of a chore?
So much of a chore that they chose to have AI solve a moral question for them. A moral question!
I think I gasp when he talked about it. I’m honestly still gasping.
Here’s the thing though: Being a deep thinker is a super power.
As it says on Explore Psychology, “A deep thinker is someone who engages in profound, reflective, and analytical thinking processes. If you’re a deep thinker, you likely spend a lot of time exploring new ideas and considering different perspectives. You don’t just accept things at face value; instead, you have a willingness to question what you see and hear. This constant search for deeper understanding means you engage in deep thought regularly.”
Engaging is brave. Exploring is brave. You don’t have to just accept other people’s ideas. You can questions them. You can expand, refute, agree.
Why Thinking Deeply Feels Scary (But Is Totally Worth It)
Thinking deeply requires vulnerability. It forces us to confront truths about ourselves, our beliefs, and our fears. It means examining why certain things make us bristle, why certain memories refuse to fade, and why we sometimes react in ways that make us cringe later.
It’s easier to skim the surface than to dive into the abyss, but here’s the secret: that abyss? It’s where the gold is.
When we dare to think deeply, we connect dots we didn’t even realize were there. We break old patterns. We allow ourselves to be moved—by a book, a conversation, a moment of silence. And in that movement, we grow.
How to Think Deeply (Without Spiraling Into Existential Dread)
Deep thinking doesn’t have to be a free-fall into despair during a car ride. Here’s how we can embrace it without getting lost in the labyrinth:
Ask Better Questions – Instead of “Why am I like this?”, try “What shaped me to be this way?” Curiosity is a much friendlier guide than self-criticism, right?
Write It Out – There’s something magical about seeing your thoughts on paper. Even if it’s just a messy brain dump, it helps untangle what’s really going on beneath the surface. Do not do this when you’re driving though.
Sit With Discomfort – Not every feeling needs to be immediately solved. Sometimes, just acknowledging, “Oh, this is a thing I’m feeling” is enough. Let it breathe. Feelings almost always pass. They are transient little buggers.
Talk to Someone Who Gets It – Deep thinking doesn’t have to mean solitary thinking. Some of the best breakthroughs happen in conversation with someone who challenges and supports you. This makes the deep thinking not as scary at all.
Balance It With Lightness Whenever You Can– Yes, think deeply. But also, watch ridiculous movies, eat cake, and pet soft animals. You are a human, not a thought-processing machine.
The Human Reward of Deep Thought
Thinking deeply makes life richer. That’s because it makes us more compassionate, more self-aware, and more capable of experiencing joy that isn’t just surface-level.
It allows us to see beauty where we might not have noticed it before. And it helps us become people who don’t just exist, but who truly live.
So, if you’ve been avoiding a deep thought because it feels too big, too heavy, too much—maybe it’s time to be brave with me, okay? Take a breath. Step into the cave. There’s treasure down there, I promise. And no zombie hamsters.
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Yes! I think deep thinking goes along with feeling intensely. It's something I still avoid sometimes, but like you said, when you do think deeply you often find gold. This was a great post, Carrie. Thank you. 💜