A Natural-Born Overthinker

I know a curious six-year-old who constantly asks, “What if?”

What if the wall collapses when we leave the house?

What if the roof falls?

What if the ocean overflows while everyone else is playing at the beach?

The worries never stop. Sometimes he even needs to write a plan for tomorrow just to feel okay.

His parents got worried. Doctors. Psychology. Tests. Seeking help.

It’s easy to jump to conclusions and think something is wrong.

But in reality, kids like this have a unique gift.

They are natural-born overthinkers.

Studies show that around 20–30% of people naturally overthink, and it often shows up at a very young age. This isn’t anxiety by default. It’s a mind that dives deep into details, explores every angle, and keeps asking “what if?”

Look closely and they’ll surprise you with questions no one else even thinks to ask.

Don’t rush to label them.

They have a superpower.

Create a safe space where they can express their worries and channel their curiosity into something meaningful.

If this kid rips up a drawing ten times because it’s “not right,” give them time.

They feel something is missing. Something hasn’t been considered yet.

After ten rips, creativity shows up.

They don’t thrive in rushed, loud, low-quality environments.

Overthinkers thrive in slow, deep and thoughtful environments where they can be creative.

Give them time. Let them explore. Watch overthinking turn into creativity.

Don’t say:

“What’s wrong with you?”

“Why are you doing it again?”

They’re solving a complex puzzle in their mind, searching for the missing piece.

Their brain is a highly analytical machine, constantly connecting dots.

The kid I know spent years under tests, scans, doctors, neurologists, psychologists.

No diagnosis. No clear answer.

By twelve, he knew there was nothing wrong with him.

He started reading detective books. Solving complex puzzles.

He grew into a career that requires deep technical thinking, building bridges between teams, mapping dependencies, seeing systems others can’t see.

Now that kid is a grown man.

And he has a young boy who also asks constant “what if” questions.

What he said to his son?

“You have a superpower. Nothing is wrong with you. You’re just trying to solve a puzzle bigger than your age.”

And the boy felt safe.

And powerful.

“Overthinking is deeply misunderstood. It was never meant to be stopped, only guided because stopping it breaks the strength behind these minds.”