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Everyone’s seen it in a movie: A character has a life-changing decision to make, and a narrator’s voice-over runs through potential outcomes as the person thinks. Sometimes, the character even envisions a debate — figures of their imagination weighing pros and cons.
You may experience something similar in real life. It might happen as you’re roaming the grocery store, trying to remember what you went in for, or it could happen before a challenging conversation with a client. The talk you’re about to have replays repeatedly in your head as you rehearse what you want to say.
If you’ve heard your head “speak,” you have an internal monologue. And if you’ve only ever seen this phenomenon in the movies, you might not have an inner voice. Some people experience this sensation, but many others don’t.
If you have internal dialogues, you may find they help you make decisions, memorize information, and work through emotions. But when monologues become negative, they could be damaging to your self-esteem.
Learn how your head voice works, when it’s helpful, and when to turn down the volume.
What is an internal monologue?
On the American Psychology Association’s podcast, Speaking of Psychology, Dr. Ethan Kross describes inner monologues as “silent verbal processing.” People who experience internal monologues reproduce a voice in their mind without moving their lips or making a sound. They hear the voice, and for some, it takes on a particular timbre or tone — or several.
Kross goes on to say that an inner monologue is a way of “using verbal reasoning skills to play with information.” This “play” can entail rumination, practicing a conversation, or memorization. These inner speeches help people take apart thoughts and imagine potential situations for critical thinking, problem-solving, or trying to evaluate elements of a situation.
How does an internal monologue work?
If you don’t experience inner monologues or are curious to learn more about your own, understanding the three components of this type of “silent” voice can guide you. This is more than just your thoughts in your head — it’s when you’re able to have some type of discussion with yourself. Researchers refer to them as condensation, dialogality, and intentionality. Here’s more on each:
Condensation
Condensation refers to how succinct or verbose an inner voice is. Some people have long monologues that string together complete, coherent sentences, like “Today, I need to pick up the dry cleaning, get groceries, and make a dog grooming appointment. Then, I should hit the gym.” Others hear more disparate words or phrases, like “remember dry cleaning,” “groom dog,” or “gym tonight?”
Dialogality
Dialogality is the ability to hold a silent conversation. This idea pushes against what a monologue is — as “mono” implies a one-sided speech. But some inner voices split into several.
For example, a person might envision an upcoming interview, and their head voices play out an inner dialogue between them and the recruiter. For others, head voices split into several when reasoning. These “personalities” bounce ideas off one another. A woman who participated in a Guardian article about inner monologues described her head voices as a couple that debated decisions she had to make.
Intentionality
Sometimes, people catch themselves holding a conversation or delivering a monologue in their heads. Other times, they intentionally start talking internally. A person might idly “talk” through a creative idea using their head voice while on a walk, or they might actively practice how they’ll answer an interview question.
Why doesn’t everyone have an internal monologue?
Only about 30–50% of people hear a narrator in their head. But researchers are still speculating about why up to 70% of humans don’t have an inner voice, despite this sensation being very present for others.
Early studies proposed that children develop inner voices upon using verbal speech in social interactions. After learning to interact with others, they turn conversations on themselves, using an audible voice to talk to themselves. In time, the child internalizes the speech. And while this theory still stands up today, researchers continue to work to understand why some adults grow up not to have an inner voice.
So, how do people without internal monologues think?
An important consideration for understanding how internal monologues work is expanding the idea of what a “voice” could mean. For some people, their “voice” may be visual. That is, some people may not hear words in their heads but instead see images that help them project future events, remember, or process. While your head voice may recite a grocery list, others might visualize theirs.
But not even all people visualize. Some experience aphantasia — not being able to conjure any visual imagination. People with this rare condition don’t visualize the future, and they also can’t play back the past. Instead, they recall a list of things that happened.
Whether people experience voices or visualizations, everyone thinks and feels. Humans practice sensory awareness, taking in sights, sounds, and other physical sensations. And they have emotions and can often recognize what they’re experiencing, like sadness or excitement.
Pros and cons of internal monologues
If you have internal monologues, chances are you can’t turn them off. You may be able to cue the voice when you wish to rehearse an upcoming conversation, but otherwise, your inner monologue could run subconsciously in the background.
There are a wealth of benefits to that ongoing conversation with yourself — so long as the talk is uplifting and focused on envisioning a positive future, healthy interactions, and solutions to problems. But your head voice can turn negative, making it uncomfortable to listen to it drone on. Here’s more on the benefits and drawbacks of internal monologues.
Pros
Your head voice may be one of your mind’s essential processing tools — helping you work toward a more fulfilling existence. If this is the case, your inner monologue encourages:
1. Planning
You have a busy day: back-to-back meetings in the morning, an important presentation in the afternoon, and a writing workshop after work.
As you consider your to-do list, your head voice kicks in, narrating a to-do list and tips like, “Don’t forget to print a copy of the presentation summary for that stakeholder.” Your mind may even reassure you that all will go well, saying, “You’ve got this,” or “Finishing all your work is possible.” These narrations help you get organized, spot potential flaws in your plan, and believe you’ll get everything done.
2. Emotional regulation
Emotion regulation is the ability to control your feelings. When you practice emotional regulation, you have healthier interactions and behave in ways that reflect your values. And when you lose control, your outlook can become harmful and dark. You risk lashing out or constantly feeling like things aren’t going your way.
Your head voice can help you emotionally regulate and prevent unwanted reactions by naming and accepting your feelings. For example, your inner monologue may say, “That meeting stressed me out. I felt disrespected,” and then, “Why not take a walk to recenter?”
3. Problem-solving
Suppose a development project is running off course because of an error in a feature. As the project manager, you must reprioritize tasks, shift the schedule, and change team assignments.
Your inner monologue can walk you through these modifications. As you view the calendar, your head might say, “No, I can’t put that task before this one because they’re interdependent,” or, “I can give this task to Jane. She’ll excel at it.” You may even find that the monologue splits into a dialogue. As you propose solutions in one voice, another on chimes in to present potential issues and counter with new options.
4. Motivation
You’ve heard it in a grueling cycling class or before delivering tough news to a client: the head voice that cheers you on, the one that says, “You can do this.”
Intrinsic motivation is a type of support from within that pushes you toward a goal you’ll feel good about achieving. Your inner voice can affirm you and provide that boost. In your cycling class, your internal monologue reminds you that you’ve completed other sessions like this before, and the endorphin rush you feel afterward is always worth it. Before navigating a tricky client conversation, your head voice reassures you that explaining the situation is the best course of action.
5. Positive reinforcement
Your head voice expresses motivation by saying, “You can do this,” and it delivers positive reinforcement by saying, “You did it.”
Positive reinforcement entails rewarding yourself for accomplishments. As you recognize your successes, the practice becomes a habit and fulfills a reward cycle. You know that performing well results in a perk, so you push yourself to reach a goal. Tune in to your head voice when it compliments you and lean into that positive self-talk. Hearing that you’re capable, powerful, and intelligent, even from your own mind, can boost your self-confidence and encourage you to keep up the good work.
Cons
Your head voice can sometimes work against you, promoting ideas that make you question your worth and self-confidence. If the negative internal monologue characteristics on the following list describe your inner voice, take a step back from its message. The voice isn’t there to help right now. It may also be a wise time to seek the professional help of a coach or therapist who can show you how to reframe your thoughts.
6. Self-criticism
You make a mistake at work, and your head voice won’t let it go. All you hear is, “I can’t believe I slipped up. I let everyone down.” This is a very narrow and unhelpful view of the situation.
Self-criticism is normal, but questioning its validity is essential, as critical inner voices can generate false narratives about your self-worth. And in the long term, they lead to lower self-esteem and a confused sense of self. They can also strain your relationships, as those who care about you refuse to support this pessimistic vision. What’s more, these thoughts distract you from progressing and seeing your positive traits.
Instead of leaning into negative self-talk, admit the mistake, gain clarity, and move on to silence that inner critic. Change your inner narrative to something like, “It wasn’t ideal that I forgot to share an important document before the meeting. But I’ve been making little errors because I’m exhausted. This weekend, I’ll focus on rest and self-care.”
7. Negative outlook
Be wary of an inner voice that promotes a you-against-the-world mentality or constantly complains. A negative monologue example might look like, “My boss can’t stand me. He’s always holding me back from taking on responsibilities,” or, “I despise where I live. The weather is awful, and I never meet new people I like.”
It’s not your fault if you have these automatic negative thoughts. You’re emotionally reacting to a trigger, like a disheartening interaction with your boss or a frustratingly difficult commute in the cold. But you can try turning down the volume of those thoughts and improving your outlook by focusing on solutions or reframing the situation.
Counter the negative voice with phrases that provide nuance and acknowledge the bright side. Try, “I think my boss is just looking out for my well-being. He’s not giving me more work because I already have too much on my plate,” or “I moved to New York for a reason. The cultural offering is unmatched, and the weather will improve in the spring.”
Make the most of your internal monologue
If you fall into the 30–50% of the population who experience an internal monologue, use it as a tool. Hear what it has to say, but learn when to tune in and out, depending on the message. If your inner monologue helps you make plans, value achievements, and navigate emotions, it’s promoting mental fitness.
But if your internal voice puts you down or makes you question your worth and you have trouble reframing negative thoughts, consider talking with a mental health professional. A therapist can guide you through unpacking traumas, understanding your triggers, and determining why your mind pushes a pessimistic narrative. This professional can also give you coping tools to improve your inner experience and turn that voice into your biggest cheerleader.
