Do You Have Inner Monolougue?

[IndigoShirtProd]

• Yes, I can have full on conversations with myself inside my head
• No, I can only think abstractly
• I'm not sure

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Here's a definition from Wikipedia: An internal monologue, also called self-talk, inner speech, inner discourse or internal discourse, is a person's inner voice which provides a running verbal monologue of thoughts while they are conscious. It is usually tied to a person's sense of self.

I personally have inner monologue and often have conversations internally. Being able to do so has made conceptualizing scenes for my comics and stories easier and a lot of fun. But also, it made consuming media and working through personal problem easier too. I feel like people get flack for talking to themselves when in fact it's a very normal thing to do especially if you're capable of internal monologue.

If you have an internal voice (or don't), talk about it; I'd love to hear about other peoples' experiences.

[VibrantFox]

I go through self talk pretty often even if I've been called weird for it but like you mentioned it can help in working through certain things especially when it comes to writing. I've noticed I'll sometimes alter the "me" that I speak to but the modifiers can be characters who I'm trying to flesh out or in some cases emotions I'm working through (if that makes any kind of sense).

As useful as it might be there are times where I'll be more engrossed in an inner monologue than actual conversations or get distracted by inner monologues while talking so I've got to have an off switch for em at times.

[IndigoShirtProd]

As useful as it might be there are times where I'll be more engrossed in an inner monologue than actual conversations or get distracted by inner monologues while talking so I've got to have an off switch for em at times.

Oh this happens to me all the time, whether or not I'm talking to someone. I'll in the middle of a lecture and one word will sending me flying to branching conversations. By the end of it I'm thinking about something far removed from what was being said.

[artemficta]

Yes, constantly, all the time

[foxnflames]

Inner me has helped me write a lot. I also talk with my hands so I've found myself pantomiming to myself a lot when i'm thinking of things to write. I'm sure observing me is hilarious

[Iris-Grimoire]

All the time. And it's been in English ever since I had my language classes, many MANY years ago. Though, it's not a monologue when thinking of stories, it's more watching scenes play out like I managed to make an instant storyboard. The monologue ends up being for personal issues, planning my day, spacing out and thinking of situations, etc.

[elyss]

To the 'no' people: How's it feel being God's favorite

Joking aside, mine goes from the moment I wake up. I couldn't back to sleep just last night cuz my mind was running.

[kmlangleyauthor]

Oh this happens to me all the time, whether or not I'm talking to someone. I'll in the middle of a lecture and one word will sending me flying to branching conversations. By the end of it I'm thinking about something far removed from what was being said.

Literally a constant thing. It makes my husband crazy how quickly I can hop subjects via my inner monologue. We’ve both learned it’s better for me not to try to explain how I got there

I also talk with my hands so I've found myself pantomiming to myself a lot when i'm thinking of things to write.

One time, in the middle of me talking, someone jokingly asked me to sit on my hands... and I completely lost my train of thought and just stared at them in shock until I started talking with my hands again they thought it was the funniest thing ever. I don’t know how people don’t talk with their hands

[foxnflames]

Most of my conversations are me just doing hand motions and hoping the person i'm talking to can figure it out

[kmlangleyauthor]

I’ve had complete (and accurate) arguments and discussions with “people” via my inner monologue. It never ends. And it’s exhausting. But I really don’t know how people process anything without having an inner monologue

[DokiDokiTsuna]

I feel more like I have several internal voices...not like separate personalities or anything; just different facets of my own mind, yelling at each other all the time. ^^ Once upon a time I tried to illustrate it in a comic, but (a) I quickly discovered I hate trying to joke about my life, and (b) the voices kind of have their own nanoculture...like, if you're speaking with a very old friend and 80% of it is inside jokes that would be hard to explain to other people? It's like that...

Anyway, one artistic benefit of this is always knowing how my writing sounds while I'm doing it. Until I learned that not everyone does internal dialogue, that advice about reading your work aloud to make sure it sounds natural never made sense to me. I'd think, "Can't you just hear it in your head? How would you not know...?"

[IndigoShirtProd]

Literally a constant thing. It makes my husband crazy how quickly I can hop subjects via my inner monologue. We’ve both learned it’s better for me not to try to explain how I got there

It can be so infuriating sometimes. I';; be in the middle of a conversation then the other person says one word that set me off. All of a sudden, I'm responding with a question that comes out of nowhere from the perspective of the other person.

[IndigoShirtProd]

I really wonder too. Like, I can't imagine not having my inner monologue.

[CodeMonkeyArts]

I definitely have an inner monologue and talk to myself often. Mostly to work through problems and also imagining how scenes play out. Honestly, I sometimes have a better time by myself, day dreaming or talking to myself than taking to strangers.

[pilot-obvious]

My inner monologue won't shut up sometimes. Like as I'm typing this, I'm hearing my inner monologue saying it and also telling me what to say next. My imagination is also pretty vivid and sometimes I just go into daydream mode and just sit there thinking of everything under the sun.

Funny thing is I asked my brother one time and I guess he doesn't have an inner monologue. I can't even imagine what it would be like to not hear yourself talk all day (in your head).

[KillianRain]

Oh, boy! I can't resist these psychological topics!
If what I write is too long, I'll leave a TL;DR at the end.

Here we go:

Having inner monologues might not sound that healthy or reasonable, but if you hear me out, you'll understand why this may be a productive practice:

• first: putting thoughts in words is extremely valuable since sometimes we don't get what we're feeling. Yeah, we may feel a mix of emotions, however, we don't get exactly why. We're so concerned about the emotion explosion in itself than asking why we're having a hard time dealing with it. Deconstructing the thoughts in words makes you realize your feelings' motivation, which usually gets clouded by your nerves.

• second: having a second voice to debate with is a blessing even if you're alone. This allows you to face contradictory arguments within your line of thought. Once again, as soon as you start monologuing you ask you some questions about a specific concern, and once that question is made, you direct your brain on thinking about answers to that dilemma you may be facing. Even silence might enough to you back in your tracks.

• and third (I'll end with this one): this makes you constantly exercise your brain. Everything you think about is making you evolve your rational thinking. Of course, you can imagine silly things here and there, but when you encounter something you can't get over with, this is the point where you start thinking about resolutions. This way, you'll ponder about hypotheses and outcomes, which tends to orchestrate your view about what you should do over what you should not.

TL;DR: Monologues are healthy if done right. You may direct your brain in better ways than you think by putting things in words as you may find solutions that were once clouded in your head.

Still, dialogues are very valuable as well.

To digest something complex you must first deconstruct the idea in simples topics.

That's where our reason is born anyway: within the principle of the doubt.
Who are we to judge badly something so important and productive such as the monologue?

[frgmnt]

I voted "I'm not sure" because... honestly, I'm unsure?
I do have discernible thoughts but I don't exactly hear them with a voice, like many people seem to describe. Or rather, I don't hear them in my own voice or any other specific voice, it's just... words and sentences appearing in my brain, as neither text nor speech. Does anyone else feel this way or am I just weird?

My train of thought is chaotic and uncontrollable (though that's probably because of ADHD), and rather like talking to myself in my head, it's like having 20 different people talk at the same time and trying to make any sense out of that (falling asleep with that constantly going on is fun )... But again, I don't "hear" them. I talk to myself out loud all the time but it's not exactly an "inner" monologue once you verbalize it, lmao.

[joannekwan]

The only text running through my brain either comes from memories or imaginings of other people (real or fictional) or if I'm reading words written by someone else. From my own voice, it comes when I'm thinking and plotting of something to say or write or if I just think of commentary that I would never type out/say publicly like "Wow, this is bad." It's like playing videos or sound bytes in my head.

Other than that, most of my thoughts come as imagery to me. I don't have a narrator that just goes on and on inside.

[TAMAnnoying]

If I didn’t talk to myself how would I ever convince myself to not have free time? 8)

[gone_flower]

I feel like my insecurity and anxiety talks to me whenever I experience something embarrassing or overthink situations, basically scolding myself for the actions I've taken and regretting them. It sucks but it is what it is I tend to overthink a lot, thus my inner monologue.