Not everyone has an internal monologue • Hacker News Board

Re: Not everyone has an internal monologue

#541

Post by gdubs » Fri, Jan 31, 2020, 2:22 AM UTC

rayiner wrote: post #384

lqet wrote: post #314

I have a serious question to people here describing themselves (as I understand it) as thinking in words and whole sentences: How can you think about concepts which cannot be put into words or for which no words exist? Do you have to come up with elaborate verbal descriptions of abstract concepts in your head before you can think about them? If so, don't you think that any verbal description is essentially incomplete…

What is a concept which cannot be put into words?

The Buddhist concept of “emptiness” comes to mind. I’ve read a lot of descriptions of it, but only really grasped the concept through the subjective experience of meditation.

Further to that end, the clarity of a totally calm mind. Words can be used to poetically convey that state — but while they get close, I’m not sure they can adequately describe what pure thought is.

Re: Not everyone has an internal monologue

#542

Post by bananamerica » Fri, Jan 31, 2020, 2:22 AM UTC

pazimzadeh wrote: post #140

40acres wrote: post #105

Unfathomable to me. My mind is constantly racing, playing out different conversations, interviewing myself in a variety of roles to navigate my thoughts on things (one day I'm the president of the US talking about foreign policy, another day I'm a big tech CEO navigating the diversity questions). I constantly have something in my ears to tune myself out, podcasts or music. After being diagnosed w/ ADHD I realize I'm…

I used to be like that, and it was helpful in many ways as I seemed to always be ready for wherever a conversation might go. But I wasn't living in the moment. Now I actively stop myself from simulating the various branches of potential conversations. It feels good to live in the moment (shaking my head a little when I feel it starting helps). The downside is that I don't have as many prepared responses and am more e…

On the other hand, it is so satisfying when a conversation hits a branch you worked on for hours on end! Very useful for dating and job interviews. Especially for people with foot-in-mouth disease[1]

[1] https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/foot-in-mouth_disease

Re: Not everyone has an internal monologue

#543

Post by kaffeemitsahne » Fri, Jan 31, 2020, 2:24 AM UTC

UseStrict wrote: post #372

saltyfamiliar wrote: post #363

On the topic of internal speech, I've recently developed a weird quirk, if you can call it that. Basically I'll hear fragments of speech in an internal voice distinctly different from my own, about random things that have nothing to do with anything I was thinking or doing. And sometimes, rarely, the fragments will contain information that I wasn't consciously aware of. For a while I actually thought I was hearing ot…

Interesting, about how old are you? Distinct voices that make orders or comments is symptomatic of schizophrenia, which typically is onset from late teens to mid twenties.

So far it has been really difficult for me to see the distinction between on one side the "hearing voices" described in schizophrenia, and on the other side the internal monologue as e.g. described in some comments here.

Re: Not everyone has an internal monologue

#544

Post by bananamerica » Fri, Jan 31, 2020, 2:24 AM UTC

_y5hn wrote: post #236

LordFast wrote: post #225

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why is it a bad thing for your brain to be running DFS all the time? Is it a wasteful use of time? Does it cause behavioral issues? Is it a personal choice? Or...?

When you think less you may be open to more possibilities, be more spontaneous and even have some childlike fun. However, others can be taken aback and even suspect ulterior motives, until you harmonize better with others.

Thinking less can be advantageous for situations that welcome spontaneity, thinking more is very useful for all the others.

Re: Not everyone has an internal monologue

#545

Post by tomc1985 » Fri, Jan 31, 2020, 2:25 AM UTC

gowld wrote: post #537

keenmaster wrote: post #311

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have learned to be cautious with two very different types of people (this is not a scientific exercise, take with a grain of salt): - One is people who are constantly negative and cast stones everywhere, but offset that negativity with charm. They can accrue a network of Stockholm-esque followers that would say "he's not an asshole, he's actually a really sweet person." When they perceive a threat from you, or they…

Do you live on the set of Mean Girls? But me, most people are spending their energy trying to get by, with no time for junior high school drama conspiracies. Maybe I'm too useless to be socially manipulated.

I agree with this. It's like classifying by alpha/beta/gamma personalities -- a false comfort, as people are rarely so simple

Re: Not everyone has an internal monologue

#546

Post by [deleted] » Fri, Jan 31, 2020, 2:30 AM UTC

[deleted]

Re: Not everyone has an internal monologue

#547

Post by kaffeemitsahne » Fri, Jan 31, 2020, 2:31 AM UTC

KhoomeiK wrote: post #381

This idea is actually where the NPC meme of several months ago originated

I'm pretty sure the NPC meme was there before and independently of the aphantasia hype, and it got tacked on a little while later.

Re: Not everyone has an internal monologue

#548

Post by budami » Fri, Jan 31, 2020, 2:32 AM UTC

funny no one mentioned Broca's area. looks like some brains under-utilize phonetic perception to boost some other hot business.

Re: Not everyone has an internal monologue

#549

Post by shpongled » Fri, Jan 31, 2020, 2:33 AM UTC

in3d wrote: post #439

40acres wrote: post #105

Unfathomable to me. My mind is constantly racing, playing out different conversations, interviewing myself in a variety of roles to navigate my thoughts on things (one day I'm the president of the US talking about foreign policy, another day I'm a big tech CEO navigating the diversity questions). I constantly have something in my ears to tune myself out, podcasts or music. After being diagnosed w/ ADHD I realize I'm…

Ketamine infusions can completely, instantly and seemingly permanently remove these racing thoughts, allowing you to only have them when you want them. Doesn't impact creativity either. Feels like the part of the brain responsible for running worrying scenarios quiets down and only brings them up to consciousness when necessary. There are several studies showing anxiolytic in addition to anti-depreesive effects. Does…

I found that about a year of serious mindfulness meditation with some CBT was able to give me the same lasting effect, even though I am not currently regularly meditating

Re: Not everyone has an internal monologue

#550

Post by ph0rque » Fri, Jan 31, 2020, 2:38 AM UTC

When I became proficient in my third language (over 20 years ago) and had to listen, speak, read, and write in all three languages on a regular basis, my mind adapted to thinking in concepts, and lazily evaluating the concepts to the words in the needed language, as the situation required.

A few years afterward, I was discussing this with a co-worker. He had a really hard time fathoming this. He asked me an excellent and hilarious question: "When you call yourself an idiot because of something stupid you did, what language do you use?" After having a good laugh, I thought about it seriously and realized that I don't criticize myself. Instead, I internally model someone who would be likely to criticize me and hear their voice in the language they would normally speak. For example, it might be my parents scolding in my primary language, or a teacher criticizing me in English. We discussed this and he agreed he does the same thing.

So, I suspect that many of us have only an internal monologue, but a whole internal society with various conversations going on.