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Not everyone has an internal monologue

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Re: Not everyone has an internal monologue

#491

Post by bagacrap »

jiggawatts wrote: post #470

I've noticed that I can do both the monologue thing and also the nonverbal thinking, and I suspect that most people can do both also. I do verbal thinking when I'm by myself and thinking through options. What should I have for dinner? What gift should I buy? That kind of thing. Non-verbal thought is when I'm totally focused on something like a competitive game. When I'm 100% in the zen-like focus of moment to moment…

I encourage you to read about the default mode network. I wager what you experience as an internal monologue correlates to high activity in the DMN.

Re: Not everyone has an internal monologue

#492

Post by oh_sigh »

irjustin wrote: post #459
oh_sigh wrote: post #431

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This has gotten me into a lot of trouble in my life. I don't use internal monologue to read - that means that I can be reading and listening to someone at the same time, and comprehend both. But, even if I can prove I heard and understood everything someone said, they inevitably view it as rude if I am reading something while listening to them.

Is this a left/right brain split specific thing or is there another thing going on? ever explore it? I can do neither of these things. One voice dominates, self speaking, reading, listening to another person talk to me - the rest of them get 'left behind'.

I think it's just practice. I used to be an internal monologue reader into my 20s until I worked to not be one(because I wanted to increase my reading speed). Maybe I was neurally set up to achieve this - I am strongly left handed and have been told by many people they dont understand my thought process on things(not in a bad way, just sort of "where the heck did you come up with that") throughout my life.

Just start looking at text and don't let yourself say the words in your head.

Re: Not everyone has an internal monologue

#493

Post by jshevek »

Elof wrote: post #282
Elof wrote: post #270

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Also ADHD and experience the world in a similar but slightly different way. All my narratives are about potential immediate futures and how they might tweak the longer term outcomes. It's interesting but insanely draining and often depressing. Since I've noticed this about my self I've been intentionally trying to take steps to slow my thoughts and be in the moment, but when I do I'm constituently thinking about how…

Another thing that happens is that when someone else is talking a lot of the time I've already thought through what they are saying to the point that they don't even need to say it for our conversation to continue and keep track. This makes me extremely annoyed by people I deem long winded. I used to try and hurry the conversation along, but it turns out people don't like that and it definitely makes me look like an…

I have this problem. My mind is obsessed with modelling /predicting other's thoughts and words, continuously testing predictions, improving models. Listening to predictable people is exhausting, and if I zone out they will belabor their point even further.

I have found one strategy in which 'cutting people off' can be mutually agreeable, maybe this will be helpful to you:

While 'listening' to their predictable words, I try to determine then summarize the vital aspects of it. You already know the 1,000 words they will speak, but can you summarize it well in 50?

This can apply to practical problems that need to be solved, information to be conveyed, or emotions to be heard.

I then politely interrupt ("I just want to be sure I understand, are you saying...") and summarize my predictions.

Many people are delighted to have their own rambling thoughts rendered in a concise, well ordered manner, and/or relieved to have solid confirmation that communication was successful.

Even people who are processing their emotions, and who value 'feeling heard' above all else, will often take pleasure in this response, provided I've done a decent job of capturing the essence of their experience. We can then move on to more nuanced aspects of their emotional difficulties.

Edited to be less long winded. :)

Re: Not everyone has an internal monologue

#494

Post by kbenson »

ludston wrote: post #405
LordFast wrote: post #252

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Thanks for answering. Makes sense to me.

This "Living in the moment" stuff has depth such that many books have been written on it. It is one of the premises of mindfulness meditation, and Buddhism thoroughly explores this. The summary is that you will be more satisfied if you are not continuously ruminating on the past, or anxiously anticipating future problems, but instead focus on your immediate happiness. e.g. Right now you are comfortable, not in any pa…

I think it depends on whether you want to feel like a good person, or be a good person. Living in the moment lets you feel better, because there's less to consider. Constantly examining yourself and those around you allows you to better react to those surroundings (even if some people don't act on it for various reasons, one of which might be getting too caught up in the examining and never doing).

Like literally every single thing in life I can think of, the truth is likely that moderation is key, as too much to either end of the spectrum is problematic.

Re: Not everyone has an internal monologue

#495

Post by henrikschroder »

sstangl wrote: post #418
UseStrict wrote: post #375

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Similarly until last year I never knew that people actually could visualize things when they closed their eyes. I thought it was more of a metaphor. But alas when I close my eyes it's darkness. Thankfully I have my internal monologue to describe things to me in that darkness.

I can't visualize every kind of object. The easiest things to visualize are simple geometric shapes with a strong color. By default, if I try to "visualize something" it will be a red triangle. I cannot visualize faces whatsoever, even if the person is right in front of me and I close my eyes suddenly.

Have you tested yourself for face-blindness or prosopagnosia?

Re: Not everyone has an internal monologue

#496

Post by gbrown »

ethanwillis wrote: post #485
gbrown wrote: post #483

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is 100% me. I kind of think of language like an operating system for the brain - a really chaotic operating system.

This is the plot of Snowcrash loosely. Great book.

Neal Stephenson? I haven't read it, but I remember really liking Cryptonomicon.

Re: Not everyone has an internal monologue

#497

Post by trash_cat »

jiggawatts wrote: post #470

I've noticed that I can do both the monologue thing and also the nonverbal thinking, and I suspect that most people can do both also. I do verbal thinking when I'm by myself and thinking through options. What should I have for dinner? What gift should I buy? That kind of thing. Non-verbal thought is when I'm totally focused on something like a competitive game. When I'm 100% in the zen-like focus of moment to moment…

What you called non-verbal thinking is called "flow" and is more like a state of mind, rather than a way of thinking. Named by Mihály Csíkszentmihályi.

Re: Not everyone has an internal monologue

#499

Post by zeofig »

I used to do more internal monologuing. But if you sit quietly and observe your thoughts, you may notice that whenever you "speak" a thought to yourself, that thought was already in your mind beforehand. The speaking adds nothing to the thought, except to reinforce it or loop it back. That is not bad, but a lot of the time it's unnecessary and in fact slows you down.

Re: Not everyone has an internal monologue

#500

Post by mckeed »

trash_cat wrote: post #497
jiggawatts wrote: post #470

I've noticed that I can do both the monologue thing and also the nonverbal thinking, and I suspect that most people can do both also. I do verbal thinking when I'm by myself and thinking through options. What should I have for dinner? What gift should I buy? That kind of thing. Non-verbal thought is when I'm totally focused on something like a competitive game. When I'm 100% in the zen-like focus of moment to moment…

What you called non-verbal thinking is called "flow" and is more like a state of mind, rather than a way of thinking. Named by Mihály Csíkszentmihályi.

No, there is also non-verbal thinking. Just like I can communicate via gestures and facial expressions, I often think things through without putting anything into explicit words.
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