I always assume that my brain is structured in a way that at least 5% of people could relate to my general thought processes, but it turns out that some of my experiences of being a human are really just a “me” thing. I’ve often told myself that I’m just like everyone else, and that all of my personality traits are explainable by a mishmash of stereotypes and systemic influences. But I guess there’s more to it than that, and I’ve been selling myself a bit short.
I feel like I lean mostly towards images, with words coming in when needed (imagining conversations, thinking about explaining something, etc). Visual thinking is a much faster ‘processing lane’ for me.
I was thinking about this subject just this morning when I was making oatmeal and groggily trying to remember what ingredient my oatmeal was missing; in a few instants the image of cinnamon in the oatmeal, our container of cinnamon, and where the cinnamon was in the drawer all flashed in my mind as images. How would someone who thinks in words do that? Do the words just come as fast for them as images do for me?
My partner thinks in words and hears his own voice as an inner monologue. It’s like saying what you’re thinking but not out loud, like “I should go to the store to pick up some milk. I’ll do that after I finish this episode. What’s the time right now? Oh it’s 10:15am.” Something like that. Completely bizarre for me to wrap my head around because I think in images and feeling. If the thought is associated with a sound, I’ll imagine that sound. But I have no inner voice narrating whatsoever.
It matches the way we prefer to learn too. He prefers to learn by reading. He finds videos or images tedious because to him, they don’t convey information fast enough. Whereas I prefer to learn visually or hands-on and might have some difficulty understanding the reading material.
I think about the process of making porridge.
Step one heat pot Two add oats 3 water 4 cook 5 cinnamon Ohh missed the cinnamon
These steps run through my brain very fast, but that’s how it goes.
I can’t fathom having pictures in my brain to understand the world outside.