Do You Have an Inner Monologue?

[Cone Slice Pahn Kahl]

Hello everyone, I recently discovered most of the population doesn't have an inner monologue, or a process in which a person can sound out words in their head without having to speak them aloud. Only around 26% of us have a near constant one (constant is pretty much impossible, and when research has been done people tend to over estimate the amount they internalize audio). Apprently it's not all too bad to have one (it's somewhat annoying) because, although counter intuitive, people with one are likely to have a more vivid visual imagination. Some people have an inner monologue but they don't think in full sentences or paragraphs, merely words. Anyway, I'm curious to hear your experiences, especially when reading.

Edited December 16, 2022 by Cone Slice

[solarcat Hazekiller]

Hmmm... I wonder how confusing it would be if you didn't have an inner monologue, and ran into one of the characters italicized thoughts in a Sanderson book. lOl

[EmulatonStromenkiin King's Wit]

I'm insane enough that I can't tell.

[Cone Slice Pahn Kahl]

3 hours ago, Ookla the Quark said:

I'm insane enough that I can't tell.

You likely don't have one, or at least one that's constant don't worry you're probably not insane hehe

[Edema Ruh Kalad's Phantom]

What if mine is more of an internal dialogue between all the different voices living in my head? 

[Ranryu Enefel]

I have an internal dialogue most of the time, although I'm not sure if having conversations with fake people in my head counts. Sometimes I'll say stuff out loud without realizing it, and with no context, everyone thinks I'm crazy.

[The Wandering Wizard Mistborn]

I do have kind of pre-conversations with people inside my head. Kind strange and nothing ever goes the way that it happens inside my head.

[The Aspiring Archivist Cryptic]

Yes. I have an internal monologue all the time. Sometimes I talk to myself out loud if no one is sold.

[solarcat Hazekiller]

I recently figured out (in fact it was yesterday) that my friend has both aphantasia and the inability to audiate in their head. I additionally found a video about hyperphantasia (a heightened visual experience) and aphantaisa, relative to a readers experience while reading fantasy: 

 

[Mr. Misting High Prelan]

I've thought about this way to much:

I think I have a subconscious monologue that narrates the deeper thoughts and concepts I am going through. It is very loose however and as soon as I try to focus on it, I can only think in words. Whenever I think about how I think, I always can clearly visualize the words. However, I always seem to think more linearly when I am in this state, so I know it's not my resting state of mind. But that might just be me trying to understand my thinking....

As you can see, I think I have a monologue, but it's really hard to tell. I do know for a fact that I think out in words future conversations and things I am going to write. 

Edited December 17, 2022 by Ookla the Kobold

[Edema Ruh Kalad's Phantom]

16 hours ago, Ookla the Myopic said:

I do have kind of pre-conversations with people inside my head. Kind strange and nothing ever goes the way that it happens inside my head.

I SPEND SO MUCH TIME IMAGINING CONVERSATIONS IN MY HEAD. like even if I have to talk to a teacher about something I imagine all the possible ways it’ll go so I have a response ready. 

[S. Stormy Kalad's Phantom]

17 hours ago, Ookla the Myopic said:

I do have kind of pre-conversations with people inside my head. Kind strange and nothing ever goes the way that it happens inside my head.

ME TOO!

Also, yes, I do have an internal monologue. Usually in the style of whatever book I read most recently.

[Odiumiumium Arbiter]

18 hours ago, Ookla the Myopic said:

I do have kind of pre-conversations with people inside my head. Kind strange and nothing ever goes the way that it happens inside my head.

I am apparently the third person to also imagine conversations in my head. And of course they either don't go the way they're supposed to, or they just never happen. 

I do also talk with imaginary people in my head, is that weird?

[rosharian_cat Oldblood]

Apparently I am the fourth person to imagine conversations in my head. I did not realize that this and having an inner monologue did not happen to everybody.

This revelation is concerning to me.

[solarcat Hazekiller]

1 minute ago, Ookla the Fluffy said:

Apparently I am the fourth person to imagine conversations in my head. I did not realize that this and having an inner monologue did not happen to everybody.

This revelation is concerning to me.

Yup, I have conversations in my head all the time. Of course, as Tom Scott puts it, I cannot realize if it's turned off because I, unlike some people, cannot make the conscious choice to turn it off. Perhaps when I'm focusing hard on what someone is saying my inner monologue shuts off without me realizing?

[Cone Slice Pahn Kahl]

23 hours ago, Ookla the Kobold said:

I've thought about this way to much:

I think I have a subconscious monologue that narrates the deeper thoughts and concepts I am going through. It is very loose however and as soon as I try to focus on it, I can only think in words. Whenever I think about how I think, I always can clearly visualize the words. However, I always seem to think more linearly when I am in this state, so I know it's not my resting state of mind. But that might just be me trying to understand my thinking....

As you can see, I think I have a monologue, but it's really hard to tell. I do know for a fact that I think out in words future conversations and things I am going to write. 

 

13 hours ago, solarcat93 said:

Yup, I have conversations in my head all the time. Of course, as Tom Scott puts it, I cannot realize if it's turned off because I, unlike some people, cannot make the conscious choice to turn it off. Perhaps when I'm focusing hard on what someone is saying my inner monologue shuts off without me realizing?

I can relate to the part where you try not to think in words, but you can't anyway.

[The Bookwyrm Rambleman]

The more you all talk about it, the more I realize I do this a lot.

I talk to myself.

Sometimes, instead of me talking to myself it's me voicing out loud what one of the characters in one of my stories is saying to another. (This is stuff I intend to write down later and sometimes get to and sometimes don't.)

Sometimes, it's a version of me talking to another character. (I have this weird interconnected universe in my head in which I'm a character.)

Sometimes it's me just talking to myself. (I'm a pretty interesting person to talk to.)

Narrating things in actual language just makes some things easier.

I'm not sure what all the details are or what it entails; I just have a weird mind.

Hey, @InfiniteInsanity, you talk to yourself. What do you have to say about this?

[InfiniteInsanity Shade]

Most of the time I just have too many thoughts to keep track of. It's easier to keep track of when I'm talking (most of the time) but I don't often share my thoughts with others. So naturally I talk to myself. 

[Lord Gregorio Bloodsealer]

I think everyone has an inner monologue eventually. Everyone has talked to themselves at some time. I talk to myself in the head often, but sometimes it just general thoughts and not concrete words or anything. Thoughts are hard to explain. There are times when I feel insane, however. 

[Cruciatus_heart Mistborn]

yeah i definitely have one and its near constant. i too sound out and imagine conversations in my head and my monolouge is in full sentences. i talk to myself all the time 

(raskolnikov much? )

[Wittles of Shinovar Seer]

I definitely have some sort of internal monologue, although it's more like my brain thinks thoughts too fast for me to register so when I slow down I translate them into internal dialogue.

Thoughts are weird.