Internal Dialogue - Proof of Our Existence? (2/5/2020)
Whatever you might
call it – internal monologue, self-talk, inner or internal speech or discourse
– we all have an internal voice because we are here – we are alive. To put it in very simple terms, your internal
dialogue is/are your thoughts.
A French man by
the name of Descates is famously quoted as saying. “I think, Therefore I
Am.” I’ll come back to this
statement in a moment, but for now it is important to take that quote at face
value in that, the ability to think and reason in situations is part of what
makes us innately human. Our internal
dialogue/thinking is the little voice in your head that comments on your life,
what is going on around you and what you are thinking (whether consciously or
unconsciously). It only makes sense
then, as life is a non-stop whirlwind, that our internal dialogue runs all the
time.
When looking at
Descates quote, (as seen above), I would like to venture that there is more to
his statement. Of course there is a
simple meaning that can be derived - If you wonder whether or not you exist,
you must, or you wouldn’t be questioning that very existence. But, a more dizzying consideration is that
there is no knockoff to thinking. It
can’t be faked. Awareness is not a
hoax. Beyond this, I can deduce that
internal voices would be very individual in that we use them to apply logic to
what is happening to or around us.
Therefore, it only makes sense that no one hears the same internal voice
as our individual experiences, emotions and environments are so varied. And if I can logically conclude that internal
dialogue can be as destructive as it is helpful, can I go further to assume
that deductive thought and reasoning are proof of existence? Is that enough proof?
But then I wonder…
If I can manage and change my
internal dialogue patterns, does that alone debunk the idea that thought and
reasoning alone prove existence?
If you’ve ever
taken the time to invest in your emotional well-being and inner growth, you may
have heard a life coach, a therapist or a counselor talk about controlling or
changing your internal dialogue. I
personally have a non-stop, run-away-train, running monologue of thoughts and
ideas while I am conscious. It even
slips into my sleeping hours and crafts my dream world. I would like to think that something similar
is still happening when I am unconscious as I think that my thoughts are
connected to my soul and my soul remains the same with or without a human body. Oh…that’s an interesting thought that I need
to consider more…But, I digress…
But is thought
alone proof that we exist? Or does it
take infinitely more than just that?
Is our existence
proven by becoming aware of our internal dialogue? Certainly, I think it is logical to make the
assumption that some people pay more attention to some people pay more
attention to their internal voices than others and some are more skilled at
reflecting upon, listening to or even manipulating that voice. Does awareness solidify our existence?
Is our existence
proven by the ability to alter, change or control our internal dialogue? If someone can “live in the present” “focus
on the now” and or change their outlook focus to gratitude and positivity –
mainly, if a person is mindful – is that evidence of our existence?
And so, I toy – as
a cat does with a mouse – with this thought and conclude that….
I DO EXIST
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