How inner experience can shape conversational misunderstandings
Abstracts
Abstracts
How we process thoughts internally may shape conversational misunderstandings in ways that are easy to misread.
In “Aphantasia, alexithymia, and the voice we bring to a conversation,” I challenge the assumption that less mental imagery necessarily means greater emotional difficulty. I also consider a different possibility: a strong inner monologue may sometimes amplify misunderstandings rather than resolve them.
The practical takeaway is to interpret conversations carefully and leave room for self-kindness. Internal experience varies, so certainty about what we—or someone else—meant can outrun what the exchange actually supports.