The article explores the dual nature of worry and anxiety, suggesting that while overthinking can lead to exhausting fear, it may also enhance our ability to understand others through Theory of Mind (ToM). It highlights how individuals with social anxiety might experience hyperactive mentalizing, attributing excess significance to the emotions of others, which can diminish their accuracy in empathetic tasks. Additionally, it touches upon the potential benefits of reflecting on others' thoughts, fostering social connections despite the challenges posed by anxiety.
High social anxiety can trigger a "hyperactive ToM," leading individuals to over-interpret the thoughts and feelings of others, affecting accuracy in understanding emotions.
Anxiety is a future-oriented emotion characterized by negative valence and high arousal, often igniting a primal fear of the unknown on various scales.
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