To ask: do you have an inner-monologue?

[allthatgrace]

I don't have an inner-monologue and never realised that some people do. My thoughts are rapid, abstract and conceptual rather than verbal.

For example, if I am thinking that I'm hungry and want to start making dinner it takes the form of something like: concept of hunger+concept of dinner+concept of it being the evening/dinner time. After speaking to my family members they would have an inner-voice that actually says "I'm hungry, I think I'll go start dinner".

I have also always been confused about the idea of having an inner-critic that berates you. I've never heard an inner-voice say, for example, "nobody cares what you have to say, don't bother speaking, everything you say is stupid", instead I would just feel the sensation of shyness and wanting to stay quiet.

I can make myself have an inner-voice and I will use it occasionally, for example if I'm trying to remember a particular phrase or something but my default thinking is not an inner-monologue.

Which kind of thoughts do you have?

Yes, I hear a voice (my voice?), speaking. It’s a broken monologue, a stream of consciousness, so lots of ideas, snippets of conversations, very random but definitely a voice shaping the thoughts.

Yes, I even ask myself questions... what shall I have for dinner? What shall I wear today etc. It's not constant though.

I'm a bit like you OP. My thoughts don't have a voice really, more pictures or just thinking about things. I am accomplice day dreamer. There is never any structure to my thoughts and my mind wanders onto so many different things in a very short space of time. I couldnt actually tell you what I'm thinking about half the time because I've forgotten within seconds.
I'm a bit like that with information people tell me aswell. I struggle to retain the information, and forget A LOT of things. I'm a bit concerned for when I'm older actually.
I also struggle to concentrate on reading things as my mind is always thinking of other stuff and I just can't seem to stop the thoughts to take in what I'm reading. Think that's why I've never made it very far in life.
I was quite clever when I was very young, but completely average as a teen and adult.

@RowanAlong

Yes, I hear a voice (my voice?), speaking. It’s a broken monologue, a stream of consciousness, so lots of ideas, snippets of conversations, very random but definitely a voice shaping the thoughts.

So interesting that you describe a stream of consciousness as a voice. To me the stream of consciousness is abstract thoughts connecting to each other. No words. When I studied literature and some tutors said monologues were "streams of consciousness" I felt this was a very poor imitation of thought as it can't be expressed properly in words. The ideas, the emotions, any of it. Maybe 10% of it is communicable. You can never be inside someone else's mind no matter how many words they say. But perhaps what you wrote here explains why others found this idea more convincing: it was similar for them to some "internal monologue" of words in their head that for me is unfathomable as a way of thinking!

I have a constant inner monologue. I'm also a maladaptive daydreamer though and I don't think you can be a daydreamer without one. I'm very happy in my own company. I've often wondered if that's because I'm very chatty with myself

Are you me? Nothing I like better than whiling away the day lying in the sun and daydreaming.

Not constant, but yes to an inner monologue. Minimal mind's eye.

Nope nothing here, no voices and no pictures, I can't imagine having voices in my head!

Yes I do. Just been diagnosed with ADHD and I think it’s linked.

Yes I have an inner monologue but not really a minds eye. My thoughts are narrated rather than viewed. I would love a good minds eye where I could watch films rather than just listening to the radio .

I have an internal monologue/ dialogue, but don't have the ability to picture things in my head, so can't imagine a tree, now imagine it's growing, etc. I know what a tree is, and what a big tree is, but can't do that meditative imagine stuff- I see no pictures in my head, but I do have extremely overly vivid dreams

There was a fantastic thread on here a few years ago about maladaptive daydreaming. I do this and I have always talked to myself of have conversations with other people in my head.

As a young child I had imaginary friends and I can still remember in great detail all about them. I have very vivid memories of my childhood going back to the age of 2.5.

When I go walking/running I rarely listen to music or podcasts because I love the time to talk with myself or whoever (in my head) I am walking with.

Often on here I will instantly reply to a thread in my head but I don’t actually write my reply then I get confused when the thread doesn’t appear on my watch list.

Often when I cook I narrate the whole thing like I am giving a cookery demonstration. Or I dance or sing on stage in my head when I listen to music.

@DinosaurDiana

I can’t imagine not having something going on in your head. It must be bliss.

Yes, my inner voice is constantly waking me up at inappropriate times

I've had this discussion before with people and I honestly can't wrap my head around the idea of not having an inner monologue, I just can't understand how you could go though life without one, it must be really boring!

@Campervan69

I have a constant inner monologue. I'm also a maladaptive daydreamer though and I don't think you can be a daydreamer without one. I'm very happy in my own company. I've often wondered if that's because I'm very chatty with myself

Are you me? Nothing I like better than whiling away the day lying in the sun and daydreaming.

Oh, you can definitely daydream without a monologue going on!!! I would find chattering during my daydreams incredibly irritating.

@nocoolnamesleft

Not constant, but yes to an inner monologue. Minimal mind's eye.

But a mind's eye sees, it doesn't talk!

@Confuzzlediddled

Nope nothing here, no voices and no pictures, I can't imagine having voices in my head!

It's not "voices in your head though" it's your own voice thinking instead of talking

*Although I wouldn't mind having Morgan Freeman narrate my life :p

"DinosaurDiana I can’t imagine not having something going on in your head. It must be bliss."

"Yes, my inner voice is constantly waking me up at inappropriate times"

That's a misinterpretation, based on my personal experience. My head is busy flitting between emotions and conceptual thoughts and connecting between them. It's only "quiet" in the sense that these are ideas, thoughts, feelings, images: not voices or words. I agree though my inner world does sound like bliss compared to what you're describing, I'd go bonkers if there was constant chatter inside my head, literally can't imagine it. I feel such relief when I'm away from other people's chatter, it seems masochistic to then inflict more of it on yourself! 😆

Yes I do.
Mine uses the royal we. Shall we see what there is in for tea? We had best go the toilet etc.
It also has a nasty side and shouts Stupid cow and wtf did you do that for? often.
I also do a lot of explaining/narrating in my head in the form of emails or diary entries that i will never write and go over a lot of old ground.

If things are quiet my internal voice (and it does sound like me) likes to chant the names of colours i can see. I don't know where this came from but i do it without thinking and have done for years. Don't know what it is all about.

No internal monologue here but I think the topic is fascinating.

It's not "voices in your head though" it's your own voice thinking instead of talking.

But that's what those of us do who don't have the monologue: we think which is ideas, abstracts, concepts. What people have been describing is thinking "in words" which is really odd; so limiting in terms of the concepts accessible, bound by your own language and expressible concepts in it. And very slow and imprecise, like language, due to its nature. To think "in words" seems to be what people mean by a monologue and I'm so surprised and fascinated to discover this is how many people think, I had no idea. Rather than thinking then "translating" their thoughts into words as best they can when needed, within the limitations of the shared language of the person they are conversing with.

E.g. a 3 year old can have emotions and thoughts that they wouldn't be able to put into words even in one language until maybe 10 years old. If they limited their thoughts to just what they could find words for, they would not develop how they do. Language is for communicating as best we can but it isn't and can't express the sum of human experience, thought and understanding. I think that similarly, as an adult, limiting your own thoughts to only what can be said in words you know to use as a shared approximate reference point with others would inevitably keep your thought forever at a lower level of complexity and nuance and depth and limit conceptual connectivity between ideas.

Ah I guess you said it's your voice thinking. That's the difference. How can a voice think? It only talks. It's your mind that thinks.

Just out of interest, are those of you who do not have an inner monologue extrovert?

No, I am very introverted. I like people, in small doses. Provided they aren't noisy or irritating. But am happy to spend days or weeks totally alone (or would be given a chance these days!!)

When I go walking/running I rarely listen to music or podcasts because I love the time to talk with myself or whoever (in my head) I am walking with.

Goodness. Physical activity for me is a way I can just tune into my body and nothing else and clear my mind of all thoughts. Chattering in my head, or music etc, would be awful!

So fascinating how differently our minds work. It just highlights how you can never really know how somebody else experiences the world. We see only 5% of what goes on in other's minds at most times, I think. For oversharers maybe it gets to 30%! 😂

[quote Mrsdarwin]@HalcyonSea I have an inner monologue but I also see visual images etc.

It’s like I’m talking to myself constantly. If I’m making a decision i will think do I need this, am I hungry, should I go park there? Etc.

I would probably say it’s like talking in front of a painting / visual image for me. Like I’m talking to myself 🤣[/quote]
Oh nooooo! Like an endless zoom meeting!!!

@Halyconsea
I have words in my head but also thoughts, concepts, images, feelings, smells, emotions, memories.
It isn't just words and it isn't lesser than those who don't have words. In fact, I'd say it's more. It's variable. If I follow a thought, it turns into words but it's a whole experience with words along side it.