Cone Slice Posted December 16, 2022 Report Share Posted December 16, 2022 (edited) 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 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
solarcat Posted December 16, 2022 Report Share Posted December 16, 2022 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 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmulatonStromenkiin Posted December 16, 2022 Report Share Posted December 16, 2022 I'm insane enough that I can't tell. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cone Slice Posted December 16, 2022 Author Report Share Posted December 16, 2022 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 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edema Rue Posted December 17, 2022 Report Share Posted December 17, 2022 What if mine is more of an internal dialogue between all the different voices living in my head? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ranryu Posted December 17, 2022 Report Share Posted December 17, 2022 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. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Wandering Wizard Posted December 17, 2022 Report Share Posted December 17, 2022 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. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Aspiring Archivist Posted December 17, 2022 Report Share Posted December 17, 2022 Yes. I have an internal monologue all the time. Sometimes I talk to myself out loud if no one is sold. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
solarcat Posted December 17, 2022 Report Share Posted December 17, 2022 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: 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Misting Posted December 17, 2022 Report Share Posted December 17, 2022 (edited) 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 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edema Rue Posted December 17, 2022 Report Share Posted December 17, 2022 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. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S. Stormy Posted December 17, 2022 Report Share Posted December 17, 2022 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. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Odiumiumium Posted December 17, 2022 Report Share Posted December 17, 2022 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? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Procrastination Posted December 18, 2022 Report Share Posted December 18, 2022 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. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
solarcat Posted December 18, 2022 Report Share Posted December 18, 2022 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? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cone Slice Posted December 18, 2022 Author Report Share Posted December 18, 2022 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. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bookwyrm Posted December 18, 2022 Report Share Posted December 18, 2022 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? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
InfiniteInsanity Posted December 19, 2022 Report Share Posted December 19, 2022 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. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Gregorio Posted January 9, 2023 Report Share Posted January 9, 2023 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. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elf Posted January 10, 2023 Report Share Posted January 10, 2023 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? ) 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wittles Posted January 10, 2023 Report Share Posted January 10, 2023 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. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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