Do you have an inner monologue?

[autienotnaughty]

And if you do, do you talk to it or is it more like a voice over in your head?

I do. NT. When I was living in France it would often be in French and sometimes it switches to French if I'm annoyed about something.

DH does it too and tends to move his lips. Occasionally he 'thinks' out loud. He has some very vigorous arguments with himself!

Not directly related but I always think it's so interesting when the brain switches languages. When I go home (have lived abroad for many years) it takes about a week and suddenly it's like a switch goes and I'm suddenly thinking - and dreaming - in my first language.

Yes.

Mostly a very sweary version of my outer monologue...

Yep , we have epic conversations- often aloud

I presumed everyone did. Mine is constant

Mine bloody interrupts my audiobooks and podcasts, she never stops.

Admittedly it's sometimes just "intention" but there is usually a monologue. When I'm getting frustrated or can't untangle something in my head, I try it out loud.

Technically I'm ND as I have diagnosed contamination OCD, but I've never explored anything else. I do wonder sometimes.

Mine repeats words and sentences as well. Over and over again.

Yes both really I’ve just had harsh words with myself while potting on two cucumbers that I’ve procrastinated on for a week

Yes. Constant and always interrupting itself, spoken words, sudden descriptions, I am often found muttering to myself as I go about daily life as I have conversations with my inner monologue. I'm a writer though, so it's standing me in good stead as many of my novel characters come from my inner ones.

Also ADHD, for the record.

I do. Thought it was normal.
though sometimes I do wish it would shut up a bit ! I am dreadful overthinker.

I don't have pictures in my head (aphantasia). I can think in words in my head (and am an overthinker of things I've done) but I don't have (what seems to be like) another person/me in my head that talks or argues with me. I don't have things like 'food noise' either that other people talk about.

I never realised what a quiet, empty place my head was compared to others!

This is interesting as I do what your DH does when reading in English (my native language). but I have been studying another language for a number of years and when I read in that language I am learning, I speak / repeat the words in my head 🙃

I’ve recently discovered the inner monologue and that not everyone has one but I hadn’t realised it extends to reading out loud in your head. Can’t wrap my head around how you see the words and they are just in brain. I need to ask DH if he reads out loud in his head because he also doesn’t have an inner monologue.

I have an inner monologue and I’ve read this thread out loud in my head (and what I’m typing actually). At the same time my inner monologue has been playing a song too but I can’t remember the name or artist of the song and I don’t really know the words so it goes a bit like “I’ll mmmbbbm when then things wrong, da-da-da-duh”. I was discussing this with DH last night and his head is just empty unless he’s actively thinking. I have always said I would be a lot more productive if I didn’t know song lyrics from 30 years ago and quotes from movies and films without quite realising this is my inner monologue just running around like a headless chicken.

Mine sings too!

Yes I am constantly thinking things over, weighing things up, thinking things through, planning ahead etc.
Various songs frequently come unbidden into the monologue.

Yes, and it's called the brain default network.

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Yes and it never shuts the fuck up.

I think everyone does. I think when people say they don't, they just don't understand what it means. How would they make decisions or just get through the day otherwise.

Just related to this but someone told me or I read somewhere a theory that people with no inner monologue have no soul.

As I understand it, they make decisions when they need to. But don't ruminate or plan or just mull things over constantly. So intentional thinking is definitely a thing, but not daydreaming/singing/constant 'chatter'.

Up to 50% of people don't.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/dec/30/inner-monologue
I kind of liken it to the little devil and angel on each shoulder from the Tom and Jerry cartoons. And then further analysis of the consequences and potential outcomes of each decision.
Before you get too alarmed, the voice isn’t telling me to do dastardly things, or trying to convince me that I’m Jesus. It’s just a constant inner monologue. This inner voice isn’t a bad thing per se; often it’s useful, occasionally it’s entertaining. Sometimes it’s annoying as hell, though: it keeps me up at night replaying past conversations I’ve had and coming up with all the things I should have said. When things get stressful – and the world has been very stressful lately – then all this inner chatter can get very overwhelming.

Me too.
Sometimes mine says the same run of numbers over and over again too.

I found it was distracting in college. In lectures I'd be listening and then in my head went off and thought about what ifs that weren't being covered or asking questions that weren't being answered. In the process of that I'd have missed part of the lecture and be kicking myself for not listening. Same with reading something I'm not really interested in college again I'd have read a whole page or chapter and not know what it said as I was chatting about something else, usually triggered by something in the text I was reading. I'd have to shut up and re read it all.

I don’t. If I’m trying to work something out, for example, I say everything out loud. My husband always thinks I’n talking to him 😅 I’m autistic.

Yes I do, both monologue and pictures. For example yesterday I was planning in my mind how to alter the house in a certain way, and discussing in my head with myself how best to do it, meanwhile my brain was also giving me pictures of how it would look! Quite useful really, I didn't have to get out of my chair!