Our constant chatter.

@Pose123 (21635)
Canada
November 15, 2009 7:06pm CST
Have you noticed that you are constantly carrying on an inner conversation? It is something that we all do but we rarely pay it any attention. We may be talking to ourselves or to some imagined individual. Sometimes we are thinking about what we are going to say the next time we meet a certain person or we may be rehashing an argument we had with our husband or wife an hour ago. The sad fact about this constant chatter is that most of the time it is negative. If you want to check this out and even perhaps change some of that talk to something more positive, find a way to stop at certain times and see what you are telling yourself. Why not set the alarm on your cell phone for certain times during the day. Thoughts anyone?
5 people like this
12 responses
• Mexico
17 Nov 09
Hi Pose: I have noticed this before but now that you've mentioned this it's clear to me that i'm chatting almost everyday and unfortunetly, you're right when you else mention that 80% of these speeches are negative, for example what should i say to show him/ her that he/she is wrong and i'm right or just critizing the way a person is or being negative about some facts that we can not change. Most of the time it's just when will i finish my work i wanna leave! Lol. XD. It's like a cloud of negativity that i'd like to stop but i've never do something serious to stop it. Thanks for talking abou this i think it's important to remember that you have to do something and be a better person. Have a nice day.
1 person likes this
@Pose123 (21635)
• Canada
17 Nov 09
Hi starsailover, Thank you for sharing and I don't think we can stop it except for short periods, but we can work on making the conversation more positive. Blessings.
• United Kingdom
16 Nov 09
Hello pose, yes I've noticed this! I listened to a self-help tape once by Susan Jeffers and she mentioned something about the inner chatter box! This relates to the constant chattering we get up to in our minds. We sometimes do this without even knowing we are doing it. The self-help tape was based on trying to counteract this chatter box and get it out of our mind completely. I have tried to do this but it's very difficult at times. That's life. I don't mind this as long as it is positive chatter but some of the negative stuff starts to gain access too! Andrew
1 person likes this
@Pose123 (21635)
• Canada
17 Nov 09
Hi Andrew, Thank you for sharing but I doubt if we could get rid of it completely. We can stop the chatter for a few minutes but even that is difficult at first. Some people are afraid of meditation because they have to begin by stilling the mind and it scares them. We can certainly work on changing the conversation so it has more positive overtones. Blessings.
• India
16 Nov 09
Its such a coincidence that you should start this discussion now…I’ve had a similar discussion sometime back coz I am really frustrated at my constant chatter and my inability to control it. I was sure that I had a diseased mind and even named my discussion so…but my wonderful friends here assured me that it was perfectly normal and only then did I come to know that this constant inner chatter happens with everybody and I am no exception or abnormal LOL For quite sometime, I've been trying to keep a track of all my chatters....I'd even chide myself you know...suddenly, I'd just 'shout' at myself ...what are you jabbering on for so long??!!! Its so irritating to me yet I cannot control it in any way.
1 person likes this
@Pose123 (21635)
• Canada
16 Nov 09
Hi sudiptacallingu, Thanks for responding and I agree, we all have this inner chatter it and it seems impossible to stop. That's why meditation is so difficult at first, to still the mind even for a short while is very difficult. Blessings.
@worldwise1 (14885)
• United States
16 Nov 09
Hi Pose. I call this "busymindedness." Sometimes I have to stop and really focus myself because I have so many things going on at once in my head. I'm working on one project while I'm thinking about another; deciding what to have for dinner; what to wear to an appointment. I also often find myself wishing I had responded to a certain situation by saying something entirely different than the way I said it. I don't find that my constant chatter is usally negative.
1 person likes this
@Pose123 (21635)
• Canada
16 Nov 09
Hi worldwise, Thank you for sharing and if the chatter isn't usually negative, then you're already doing well. Blessings.
@savypat (20216)
• United States
16 Nov 09
Good idea, positive thought promotes positive energy so why not control what you are thinking and enjoy the results.
@Pose123 (21635)
• Canada
16 Nov 09
Thanks savypat, Blessings.
• Australia
16 Nov 09
Indeed, I am forever having a secret conversation with my inner-self. I find this extremely healthy as long as what you are saying to yourself is positive. Sometimes if I feel sad and start having an inner conversation with myself, I change the content of it to something that makes me laugh and imagine being in that time and place again. I imagine my kids smiling and playing - and still use it to this day :)
@Pose123 (21635)
• Canada
16 Nov 09
Hi tetley, Thank you for your comment and it's true that we all carry on this conversation. I'm pleased that for can take charge and turn it from negative to positive, many can't seem to manage that, in fact, most don't realize that they're having the conversation at all. Blessings.
@Hatley (163781)
• Garden Grove, California
16 Nov 09
right now i am angry with mylot and myself and firefox because I left a discussion to make a comment and to look up some information for a person who was worried about his sisters schizophrenia and now I cannot seem to get back to the response I made. so I guess the best thing i can do is go into my profile and find the response there. hope this works,.
1 person likes this
@Pose123 (21635)
• Canada
16 Nov 09
Hi Hatley, Thanks for sharing and I hope you find the response. Blessings.
@ronnyb (6113)
• Jamaica
16 Nov 09
Well I must admit that I do carry on some amount of inner chatter especially when I am nervous and I want to rehearse what I am going to say so I dont botch it .The only thing I dont do is imagine a person ,I would be a little worried for myelf if I did that .Maybe if I was imagining the person i was talking to but not an imagined person
1 person likes this
@Pose123 (21635)
• Canada
16 Nov 09
Hi ronnyb, Thanks for your comment and that's what I really meant, we imagine the person or people we are talking with. Blessings.
• Philippines
16 Nov 09
This is what i could term as conscience speaking on one mind that it remind me to do something that sometimes I feel I neglect some important things to do and fail to prioritize that it keep coming back on our mind as a sort of reminder to return back as what is first started never to dilly dally as it work nothing unless one make a move to return to make changes visible externally.
1 person likes this
@Pose123 (21635)
• Canada
16 Nov 09
Hi neelianoscet, Thanks for expressing your views on this. Blessings.
• United States
16 Nov 09
Nice insight! That voice inside our has always been there. It is the very thing that led to the concept of God. I or the 1. To look within. People everywhere were having this conversation with some voice and somewhere along the line, someone figured it must be god because who else could it be? I like your suggestion to notice the chatter. That is looking within. It's also being aware. It's very important in positivity to always be as aware and focused on everything as possible. I also think it helps to stay active. An inactive mind can get into trouble. Especially if you are like me and you have multiple thoughts racing through your head at the same time.
@Pose123 (21635)
• Canada
16 Nov 09
Hi ringbearer, Thank you for commenting and I'm pleased that we agree. I also think you may be right about the concept of God although most people seem to think of God as being outside of them rather then within them. Of course even in ancient times there are writings that point to the idea of the God within. Is this why some people of scared of meditation, because they are asked to still that voice and go into the silence? Blessings.
@bird123 (10632)
• United States
16 Nov 09
Isn't it right for the mind to ponder all possibilities??? It is our choice which we place more value on. I wouldn't say most of my chatter is negative. Then again, it's not more important than all the good,happy,positive thoughts. I've also learned to ignore the WHAT IF'S. I find that they never happen anyway.
1 person likes this
@Pose123 (21635)
• Canada
16 Nov 09
Hi bird, It's clear that you are more advanced in these things then most, the majority probably never notice that they are having the conversation at all. Learning to ignore the WHAT IF'S is a great achievement. Thanks for this. Blessings.
• Philippines
16 Nov 09
We do this because we imagine ourselves being in that situation. We normally think what we want to happen and how we will act in that situation so we try to picture the scene and the dialogues that we want to carry out. I think it is normal though you are right that most of the time its negative, maybe by that we may think again and try to create ways on how to make it positive or how it will turn out to be positive.
1 person likes this
@Pose123 (21635)
• Canada
16 Nov 09
HI sharlionse, Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this. Blessings.