How the Avoidance of Self-Scrutiny is the True Cause Behind Obsessive Thinking

An insightful video essay by The School of Life uses minimalist animation by award-winning artist Natalia Biegaj to explain how the avoidance of self-scrutiny is the true cause behind obsessive thinking. They further note that obsessive thinking is less about the issue at hand and more about protecting oneself from traumatic events that have occurred in the past.

As obsessive thinkers, we are not making progress through anything of note…We are thinking in order not to think. By which is meant, we are  using one kind of thought to ward off another. We are employing obsessive thinking as a defence against thinking more laterally and emotionally about who we are and what has happened to us; against knowing ourselves properly.