Get a random quiz Do I have an inner monologue? Take this quiz to find out! Start the quiz
It’s a nice day!
Did you read that sentence in your head, word for word? Or did you interpret the meaning in another way?
Research shows that somewhere between 30 and 50% of the population has an internal monologue—so they “hear” a voice in their head, even when they’re not speaking out loud. Are you one of them or do you interpret the world in other ways? Take this quiz and we’ll tell you everything you need to know.
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The link has been copied! Start Quiz 1. Do you ever talk to yourself in your head (for example, you can hear your own voice speaking in your mind)?
- Yes, all the time. I can not help myself.
- Sometimes, when I’m solving a complex problem.
- Never.
- I do not know
2. When you practice speaking, do you say the words in your head?
- Yes, I practice in my head just like saying the words out loud.
- Sometimes, but I also find it helpful to practice out loud.
- No, I practice out loud. It’s hard for me to practice in my head.
- I’m not sure.
3. When you read a book, do you “hear” yourself saying the words in your head?
- Yes, always.
- In a way, but it’s in the voices of the characters.
- No, I’m just kind of feeling the words I’m reading, if that makes sense.
- I do not know
4. Do songs often get stuck in your head?
- Yes, all the time.
- Sometimes.
- Rarely or never.
- I do not know
5. Have you ever watched a movie and then had the dialogue stuck on repeat in your head?
- Yes, all the time.
- Sometimes, especially with movies I’ve seen a lot.
- No, definitely not. I could still see scenes or hear music in my head.
- I’m not sure. I think about the movie later, but I can’t see or hear it — does that count?
6. When you feel sad, do you struggle with negative self-talk (or hear a voice saying negative things)?
- Yes, whenever I’m sad, I hear negative self-talk.
- Only occasionally.
- Never. When I feel bad about myself, I don’t hear a voice.
- I do not know
7. When you are happy, do you hear a voice in your head saying positive things?
- Yes definitely! I hear it automatically as I go through the day.
- Sometimes, but only when I focus.
- Even when I’m happy, I don’t hear a voice saying positive things — I just feel good!
- I do not know
8. Do you talk about your day in your head?
- Yes, everything that happens is filtered through the voice in my head.
- Some of it is narrated in my head.
- No, I never narrate my life in my head.
- I’m not sure.
9. How do you personally define “inner monologue”?
- It’s a voice in your mind that just comes and goes when it wants, without your control.
- It’s when you purposely talk to yourself in your head – like solving a problem or reading to yourself.
- From what I can tell, it seems to be the voice some people have in their heads for silent verbal processing.
- I do not know
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An inner monologue (or inner monologue) is the voice you hear in your head, even when you’re not speaking out loud. You can hear the voice in your head automatically without realizing it, or you can use your inner voice to talk to yourself (such as working through a complex problem), read, or rehearse something (such as for a presentation or play). About 30%-50% of the population has an internal monologue, while the rest do not have it or are not aware of it if they have it.
Believe it or not, most people have a fairly limited understanding of how they themselves process the world, let alone how anyone else might process it differently than they do. It can be difficult to truly study one’s pristine inner experience – pristine as in undisturbed, not pure or pure – because it, like a wild animal, runs away when you get too close to it! Psychologist Russell Hurlburt, who studies internal processing, has identified five main ways people process the world, including through internal monologue:
- Inner speech
- Inner vision
- Feelings
- Sensory awareness
- Unsymbolized thinking
Maybe you have an inner monologue – or maybe you treat the world a little differently. There is no right or wrong way!
For more information on internal monologues and internal processing itself, visit these websites:
- https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/intersections/202304/inner-monologues-what-are-they-and-whos-having-them
- https://hurlburt.faculty.unlv.edu/sampling.htm
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Source: HIS Education