Do you have an internal monologue?

Yes, but I can't write fast enough to keep up.

I do when mulling things over but not in the way portrayed in Peepshow, any thoughts going through my mind during a conversation (ala peep show) are completely subliminal rather than "vocalised" in my head. Its only after the chat I might think, "that blokes a bit of a dick" or such.

I always assumed this process to be the norm but yes, it's one of those things we assume everyone else is the same in.

Nope, I talk out loud to myself. Regularly amuses the wife when I'm WFH as I'll give myself mini motivational speeches when getting stuck into something meaty 😂 she has an internal monologue and thinks I'm insane/under developed..

I have always wondered how humans 'think' before they learn language as all my thinking is done as a monologue. Babies must do it just with feelings I guess.

billabong987

Full Member

and as an extension of the question do you have multiple trains of thought running simultaneously?

Yes, constantly. One of them is currently saying why the **** are you telling people this.

poltheball
Free Member
Nope, I talk out loud to myself. Regularly amuses the wife when I’m WFH as I’ll give myself mini motivational speeches when getting stuck into something meaty 😂 she has an internal monologue and thinks I’m insane/under developed..

Can I play you at chess?😉

Of course. Often I write a reply on hear and then have a chat with myself if I’m actually adding to the debate, then delete the reply.

Hmm.  So, not just me then.  Any advice on making it shut up sometimes?

Yes. It's usually telling me to stop running  or suggesting that one more mini pork pie won't matter.

I have a monologue for writing and imagined conversations plus the odd bit of internal tourettes, but generally no. It's mostly a bit of a mad jumble of thoughts in there that only really makes sense to me, so I find if I try to explain something to someone it can take quite a bit of brain power to form it into a sentence that another human stands a chance of comprehending.

I suffer this " thoughts plague "

It really tires me all day long and hence I suffer with poor sleep then sleeping too much to make up. Never refreshed upon awaking eventually.

Depression makes it worse of course and I become a product of my negative beat me down thought process.

Very difficult to live with. I have even tried explaining to psychiatrist doubting that I were experiencing schizophrenia.

I thought everyone did, and thought it's fairly normal?

I often have thoughts of conversations etc... but I always agree with myself, it's more like a mental note-pad I guess?

I do also suffer sometimes when my brain decides to re-play something stupid or embarrasing from my past, that I did... that's a bit of a bummer. Thanks, brain! 🙂

Yes and I am regularly disappointed with myself.

Edit: It's been a long time in my case but I always found it interesting when my internal monologue switched languages.

I don’t have one. Always get the question from Mrs F “what are you thinking” most of the time it is genuinely nothing. I do have thoughts but they don’t really tend to follow any structure and are just there. Can’t think of a better way to explain it. They just come and go. Some I’ll latch on to, others are just passing through. Used to talk out loud to myself quite a bit when I lived alone. Still do at work if doing something a tad tricky.

Yes I keep telling myself the idiots aren't winning then I go on the internet where the shills, pathetic fanboy's, corporate sycophants/apologists roam. Not to mention the two faced liars, bad actors, professional shit stirrers and self righteous who get involved in anything remotely political/ideological.

Can't wait for the next election as the forum will once again be flooded with these clowns and their coattail toadies. We are stuck with a few of these Twitter/X quoting residual idiots (mainly the self righteous) from the last time!

Yes, all the time. I thought everyone was the same?! I create multiple scenarios from a problem i have and explore each 'path' to see how it feels as a possible outcome. That can be annoying and also like someone mentioned earlier 'do you need that extra pie?'

Sport helps and so does meditating or practicing mindfulness....

Always get the question from Mrs F “what are you thinking”

That's interesting... I'm always thinking about something, but if someone asks me what I'm thinking it's like a cache refresh and I just go blank for an answer, a bit like writers block, maybe?

For example if someone asks me 'what I've been up to?' ...   if I've not seen them for a few weeks, the best I can come up with is 'not much' or 'the usual'.

It's almost like if I get put on the spot, my mind goes blank, as I guess I just can't process pointed questions on the fly... I'm fine in normal converstaions that flow organicaly/naturaly, but when conversations take on a more question and answer based format, I struggle with that.

It's kind of why I like internet forums, as they go at your own pace.

… but I always agree with myself, it’s more like a mental note-pad I guess?

Jeez, I wish I was like that, I'm easily my own harshest critic.

That’s interesting… I’m always thinking about something,

Thinking about it, the blankness on my behalf could be as a result of antidepressants. Without them I latch on to the shitty thoughts and then go in to a spiral of self doubt/loathing and it gets worse from there.

the voice in my head  used to take in the persona of a celebrity every time I entered the kitchen.

the voice in my head  used to take on the persona of a celebrity every time I entered the kitchen.

Hmm.  So, not just me then.  Any advice on making it shut up sometimes?

meditation is the usual recommendation, but that is quite difficult if your head is really busy. A stretching routine is a good substitute. Find one that is targeted at your needs (cycling, perhaps?) and focus on your breathing while in the stretch and “breath into the stretch”.

but an internal monologue can be fun (and can turn toasting bread into a culinary adventure), but when they become irritating, have a stretch.

Jeez, I wish I was like that, I’m easily my own harshest critic.

Well, yes, that's what I mean.. I often replay conversations in my head and beat myself up about it when I've not been very good, or worse communicated to someone in a really clumsy way in the hope they 'catch my drift' or whatever.

Usually when I'm drifting of to sleep, some silly thing will pop into my mind...like some stupid embaracing thing I did ten years ago, or whatever...

Then I'll start feeling really bad about it, and it stops me from going to sleep!

There's a very fine line beween being assertive, and being an arse, for example, and there's a very fine line between being too passive in a conversation, and dominating it...

It's a constant struggle for me as I try to adjust myself to the situation or environment, I find it especialy difficult as a lot of people tend to try to talk loudly and constantly without allowing an interjection, which irritates me as the they tend to move the conversation on to a different phase before I can have a say, by which point I've forgotten the point I was trying to make....

So don't be too hard on yourself...some people can just suck the air out of the room with a constant flow of verbal diarrhoea, that leaves me wondering why I was listening to what they say in the first place.

.

I create multiple scenarios from a problem i have and explore each ‘path’ to see how it feels as a possible outcome. That can be annoying

I'm like that but to an extreme, which results in anxiety as I always imagine the worst outcomes and that they compound. It can be very debilitating. I wish I could switch it off.

Nope, I talk out loud to myself. Regularly amuses the wife when I’m WFH as I’ll give myself mini motivational speeches when getting stuck into something meaty 😂 she has an internal monologue and thinks I’m insane/under developed..

Worked with a chap who when suppliers delivered to the shop he would start to hold a conversation with himself while in the chill breaking down sides of beef. They'd glance towards the chill, It kind of unnerved them 😆

He only did it when suppliers were in, just his little joke.

I wish I could switch it off.

This is gonna sound really cleché, but have you tried listening to some chill out music, and putting some essentail oils in the burner/

Give yourself a good two hours before bed time, go to bed, turn the lights off...

Works for me..

I do all the time, because I live on my own now, it’s the only opportunity I have to have an intelligent conversation with someone else.

I also have a container full of my late partners ashes, and I often talk to her as well.

No, “yes you do?”, no I don’t so just **** off will you?, “ha…..not a chance matey….you started it by inviting me in”, that was a mistake right…..we’re all allowed to make mistakes aren’t we?, “ nah not like that you aren’t….you took the mushrooms….you stared into the bathroom mirror for an hour….you invited me in so suck it up and deal with me”, Look…..I’m sorry….i ****ed up…….i thought I could handle you…it was fun whilst the trip lasted but that was 15 ****ing years ago…..will you please just **** off ?, “take another trip?”, no ****ing chance, “go on….. you may be pleasantry surprised…..I promise to go if you take a trip”, really?…you promise?, “yeah…I promise”, how can I trust you?, “I’m you you dickhead….course you can trust me…if you can’t trust yourself then who can you trust?”, hmmmmm?……that makes sense….ok then ………………………….., “feeling anything yet?”, hmmmm, dunno?………the ceiling is a bit wavy….my fingers look a bit too long…..I need a pee….I think I need a pee but I’m not sure?, “go have a pee then…I don’t want to stink of piss”, yeah….I’ll go for a pee………………, “you been for a pee yet?”, what?, “a pee dickhead…….30 minutes ago you said you needed a pee?……..for ****sake…….i’m dealing with a ****ing cretinous child here”, yeah……your right….pee…..I forgot……………..ok I’ll go now……., “get out of the ****ing cupboard……what the actual **** are you doing in the hallway cupboard?”, I was seeing if I’d fit?, “of course you’d fit……the cupboard is 6ft 6” tall…..you’re not a ****ing giant….jesus ****ing christ what am I dealing with here”, really?……6ft 6”…..you sure?…..I had to really squeeze myself in here?, “ ****ing hell……you’re only 5ft 5” tall…..get out……get out now and go piss”, ok……can you give me a hand to get out?…….i think I’m stuck?, “for the love of the baby Jesus will you just stand the **** up and walk the actual **** out or I’ll come in and drag you out by your ****ing scrotum”, I don’t want that, “ yeah you’re ****ing right you don’t want that so are you getting out?”, ok…….I'm coming out…..get out of the way……..right I’m out……I’m very sleepy…think I’ll go for a lie down, “no you ****ing won’t……get to the ****ing toilet”, oh……yeah….ok……..jeez it’s bright in here….i can see everything…….look….a mirror…gaw’d my face looks weird….…………………………………………………….., “you pissed yet?”, (yeah dickhead…what he said…you pissed yet?), wait……..who’s that?………your voice has changed?, “no it hasn’t…..that was bob……say hi Bob”, (hi Bob), what the **** is going on…..who’s that?, “that’s Bob………you looked in the ****ing mirror again didn’t you?………….what the **** did you think was going to happen?”, (yeah dickhead…………you’ve got two of us now………twice the fun eh?)  arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Nothing makes me more angry than a copy/paste text dump!

That took me over an hour to write thank you very much! …..hmmmph

That took me over an hour to write thank you very much! …..hmmmph

A whole hour? then you might want to spend thirty seconds on your formatting, you know, like paragraphs, and line spacing and such 😉

I didn’t consider an internal monologue would work/sound like that?, if I did line spacing, paragraphs etc then it would be too long for the page. I tried to use the text formatting tools above and with blue text for myself, Red for inner monologue, and black for bob but the formatting ****ed up on the screen so I ditched it for the above.

I used “ to signify my internal monologue was talking and ………….for passage of time and , to signify end of thoughts. I just talked normally without any punctuation. I used ( ) to signify bob was talking.

That still doesn’t make any sense really does it?, bugger…..it’s late and I can hear bob shouting abuse at my neighbours.

Sorry, what I mean is.. maybe format it more like a movie script to make it easier to read...

As it stands it reads like an Irvine Welsh monologue, which is fine, if you've ever read any of his books, he's an excellent writer!

But to a casual reader, it's just a massive wall of text, all I'm saying is, it's ok to use paragraphs and line breaks occasionally!

When I made a jibe to you about a copy/paste dump, I was actually thinking the text might have been ripped straight from an Irvine Welsh book, as he writes in a similar way!

Ah yeah….i see what you mean with Irvine welsh analogy, I should’ve realised. I may save it and do that.

I may save it and do that.

Don't take my word for it...

Also I’m not a good writer, and I use too many paragraphs!

So who am I to judge anyone?

Ironically, and in the spirit of the thread, I'm now over thinking my unduly harsh critique of @somafunk

I'm sorry... You do you.

Yes, but I can’t write kill fast enough to keep up.

All the ****ing time, and it's usually pretty negative and harshly critical and replaying conversations and scenarios. It's really draining. I usually have to tell it/me to stop. Exercise helps as does meditation or distracting my attention by counting up from a random number as I breath in, and down (from a random high number) as I breath out.

Occasionally it can be very positive and motivating when I'm working hard to spur me on when lifting or riding like a coach shouting in my ear.

Daniel Kahneman's work is interesting in this respect - suggests our thought process comes from 2 distinctly different types of thinking and understanding how they work together seems to be helpful in getting past biases or 'jumping to conclusions' results.

Is that the same voice in your head that tells you as you walk in a cafe you just want a coffee then when you order it adds a cake on as well? 🙄🙄🙄

I certainly have one , indeed it’s a constant chatter in my head…eg I’m thinking/talking in my head about what I should be typing here now!

My daughter is exactly the same and I think it has an even more negative impact on her as a young, not so confident woman.

We were discussing it as a family and we were both amazed when my wife said she didn’t have one at all! She apparently just deals with things in the now without internally thinking it over. She genuinely thought me and my daughter were crazy and couldn’t comprehend the constant inner monologue. I’d do anything for the bliss of that more zen like approach!

Yep. Usually negative/self defeating.

Meds, CBT, counselling, still can't get the little shit to shut the **** up. It's exhausting.

Has this cropped up on social media or something recently? My wife brought it up the other day.

I'm an internal monologue person. Always assumed that everyone was the same. But the fact they're not explains that episode of the Ricky Gervais show where they're mocking Karl for saying he thinks in his manc accent, Ricky saying that thoughts should just be abstract images.

I do also suffer sometimes when my brain decides to re-play something stupid or embarrasing from my past, that I did… that’s a bit of a bummer. Thanks, brain! 🙂

This gets pretty tedious, can't remember useful stuff I've learnt or did recently, or content of conversations I had the other day, but my brain will randomly insert some annoying incident from 30 years ago into my brain seemingly jus to piss me off. It's like my brain is another person I have no control over!!

Inner monolgue here

For those whose monologue gets them down do look at mindfulness. Like getting fit it takes some commitment. Understanding the difference between thoughts and feeling and that one can control thoughts but not feelings has been incredibly useful.

This is the course approved by NICE

Link

Yes, amazed people don’t. But then not surprised by the instinctive/irrational actions of some.

More interesting is some people lack a ‘minds eye’ where they cannot picture anything in their heads. Faces, places etc etc. cannot imagine what that would be like