They cannot stop—one thought followed by the next. Thinking is compulsive. ‘I Think Therefore I Am’ says the philosopher Descartes. Humans cannot stop thinking; they are slaves to thinking—one thought followed by the next. Thinking is compulsive. ‘I Think; Therefore I Am’ says the philosopher Descartes. If Descartes’ proposition is true, then the opposite also has to be true. ‘I DO NOT Think; therefore I Am Not’—many schools of Buddhism state all experience manifests through the mind, i.e. thinking. Completely stopping the process of thinking may not be possible nor necessary. However, disengaging from this process is possible and desirable.

The most brilliant minds of all time have injected a lot of thinking effort into explaining the process of thinking. Yet, there is no consensus of how thought works or even how it can be defined. Science suggests that thinking may be an electrochemical process by which neurons transmit information in the nervous system. Philosophers say something else. There is no agreement when it comes to thinking and the mind.

Whatever ‘thinking’ actually is, we can be sure about it: thinking leads to more thinking. One thought generates the next, ultimately creating extensive thought structures. These can be beneficial or harmful to the human situation. 

The human ability to create profound mental systems is astonishing and has brought many benefits. On the downside, understanding all of these complexities and connections is beyond an individual’s mind. Knowledge is the manifestation of thinking, and it dissolves into infinite divisions and fragments that, in the end, can only be comprehended by specialists. These experts may understand their field of expertise yet may not have a clue about the bigger picture. The time of the Renaissance Person, who knew everything that there was to know, is long gone.

For an ordinary person, it is impossible to understand and follow these complexities. Many people feel left out and uneasy. It is self-evident that the immense global thinking effort has failed to make the world happier, more peaceful, or safer.