When I try to think of a tune (often because I haven’t recalled the lyrics yet and am still trying to identify the song), I am just listening to the song in my head, trying to think of the notes and instrumentation of the next bit. I hear it, like a recording.
When I try to throw something–I said basketball because I figured it would be more relatable, but the sport I actually played was Ultimate (Frisbee, but that’s a trademark, so the sport is just Ultimate)–I’m picturing the path of the disc, how it will arc on the wind, the precise angle, how to roll it off my fingers, how long it will be in the air and how far to lead the runner. It’s a struggle to even come up with words for it now. It all feels visceral, the same as thinking how to reach my hand out to touch a glass on a table.
It’s hard for me to imagine using words for those kinds of things because words are so vague and general. Words deal with categories we impose on the world, rather than the world as it is. Like, I learned to juggle as a teenager; I could never do that if I had to use words to think about every way to maneuver my arms and how the balls would land and so forth. I just have to reach where the ball is going to be, and throw where my hand is going to be. When I first learned Mills’ Mess, I got it mixed up a bit (because I was learning from a VHS tape), and I had an extra throw in there. It took me quite a while to figure out how I mixed it up, and how to do it without that extra throw. But it was a spatial puzzle. I wouldn’t even know how to convey the issue in detail without just doing it.
I dunno. I shouldn’t be surprised that people’s inner lives are very different, but this particular point confounds me a bit.
For stuff that is fast paced it might be more like a word or two, like now, here, wow, ok, what now, etc. Then between that is thoughtless reflex where the body just reacts without input. It’s instinct or repetition.
I can kind of actually hear a song on rare occasions usually with some effort. But it seems more like listening to myself sing it in the singers voice. Like karaoke, so it still seems like inner monologue. But the other 90% of the time it’s more low effort default monologue like I am reading the lyrics out loud.
I just think in concepts/abstractions, I don’t know how to explain it, lol.
I definitely don’t think in pictures, like other person said. My mind can’t create pictures out of thin air. That might be more like artists think I guess.
With imagery, or in abstracts. I have an internal monologue but not everything is a monologue. If I’m working on a project of some kind I’ll usually keep a mental model of the current piece I’m working on in my head. There’s no monologue attached, it’s just a “working copy” of my current task.
Or for example if I’m reaching somewhere I can’t see to plug in a usb port or something I’m visualizing in my head what my hand is doing, but I’m not talking myself through it.
What everyone else here said but also keep in mind it’s not binary.
If you ask me to picture an Apple on a windowsill I can kind of do that. And then if you ask me to make it polka dot, I could kind of do that. In my mind’s eye though it’s like it’s severely myopic. It’s not fuzzy but the details are not there.
When I’m drawing things, the act of me putting the marks on the paper is where the object is formed. I generally don’t have a solid concept in my head that’s coming out on paper. I could definitely do the 2D outline of an apple, But if you want me to perspective skew it there’s no way. I might be able to draw the 2D outline and then slowly modify that to make it look more 3D, But I’ve got to be making changes to something already on paper rather than having something come out that’s just kind of the right direction.
As someone with an inner monologue, how do they think?
I don’t really have an inner monologue unless I very intentionally think in words. Otherwise I just think in thoughts. 🤷♀️
Thoughts are words though?
When you’re thinking about how to throw a basketball to get it through a hoop, do you use words for that?
When you are thinking of the tune to a particular song, is that in words?
I think a lot of people overestimate the role of words in thinking. There’s a lot of non-verbal thought.
I do both of those using auditory words. Can’t imagine any other way and didn’t know anyone else could function so differently.
Aiming a basketball: Ok let’s get this in, a little higher, to the left, ok looks good.
Thinking of music: what’s the lyrics to that song, I think they were…
Really! I find that fascinating.
When I try to think of a tune (often because I haven’t recalled the lyrics yet and am still trying to identify the song), I am just listening to the song in my head, trying to think of the notes and instrumentation of the next bit. I hear it, like a recording.
When I try to throw something–I said basketball because I figured it would be more relatable, but the sport I actually played was Ultimate (Frisbee, but that’s a trademark, so the sport is just Ultimate)–I’m picturing the path of the disc, how it will arc on the wind, the precise angle, how to roll it off my fingers, how long it will be in the air and how far to lead the runner. It’s a struggle to even come up with words for it now. It all feels visceral, the same as thinking how to reach my hand out to touch a glass on a table.
It’s hard for me to imagine using words for those kinds of things because words are so vague and general. Words deal with categories we impose on the world, rather than the world as it is. Like, I learned to juggle as a teenager; I could never do that if I had to use words to think about every way to maneuver my arms and how the balls would land and so forth. I just have to reach where the ball is going to be, and throw where my hand is going to be. When I first learned Mills’ Mess, I got it mixed up a bit (because I was learning from a VHS tape), and I had an extra throw in there. It took me quite a while to figure out how I mixed it up, and how to do it without that extra throw. But it was a spatial puzzle. I wouldn’t even know how to convey the issue in detail without just doing it.
I dunno. I shouldn’t be surprised that people’s inner lives are very different, but this particular point confounds me a bit.
For stuff that is fast paced it might be more like a word or two, like now, here, wow, ok, what now, etc. Then between that is thoughtless reflex where the body just reacts without input. It’s instinct or repetition.
I can kind of actually hear a song on rare occasions usually with some effort. But it seems more like listening to myself sing it in the singers voice. Like karaoke, so it still seems like inner monologue. But the other 90% of the time it’s more low effort default monologue like I am reading the lyrics out loud.
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Thoughts can be words.
I just think in concepts/abstractions, I don’t know how to explain it, lol.
I definitely don’t think in pictures, like other person said. My mind can’t create pictures out of thin air. That might be more like artists think I guess.
Having a minds eye or not is a different thing from having a inner monologue or not. People can have both, one of it or none.
Lack of an inner eye is called Aphantasia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aphantasia
I have a inner monologue but not a glimpse of an inner eye.
I am very very much not an artist, and yet also cannot imagine not being able to conjure up images of whatever.
It is fascinating how the brain works! Even if we barely understand it!
With imagery, or in abstracts. I have an internal monologue but not everything is a monologue. If I’m working on a project of some kind I’ll usually keep a mental model of the current piece I’m working on in my head. There’s no monologue attached, it’s just a “working copy” of my current task.
Or for example if I’m reaching somewhere I can’t see to plug in a usb port or something I’m visualizing in my head what my hand is doing, but I’m not talking myself through it.
What everyone else here said but also keep in mind it’s not binary.
If you ask me to picture an Apple on a windowsill I can kind of do that. And then if you ask me to make it polka dot, I could kind of do that. In my mind’s eye though it’s like it’s severely myopic. It’s not fuzzy but the details are not there.
When I’m drawing things, the act of me putting the marks on the paper is where the object is formed. I generally don’t have a solid concept in my head that’s coming out on paper. I could definitely do the 2D outline of an apple, But if you want me to perspective skew it there’s no way. I might be able to draw the 2D outline and then slowly modify that to make it look more 3D, But I’ve got to be making changes to something already on paper rather than having something come out that’s just kind of the right direction.
There was a thread on r/SamHarris (maybe 2 years ago) where some people without inner monologue answered questions. It was interesting to read.
In pictures, for one example
This is the best example, thank you.