Thinking critically about our inner voice
when does it become the outer voice?
I was at a friend's wedding recently, and in a room full of people, it suddenly occurred to me that we are all having an inner conversation. We constantly have conversations with ourselves before we engage in discussions with others. This inner voice can often be left unspoken, and sometimes it is the mechanism behind our rationale for what we say out loud. Perhaps it’s the cave that hides our doubts and where our ideas echo before we decide which ones to voice. With all of these thoughts whirling around in my mind alongside music and colour, I concluded that critical thinking is also a process we use to refine our inner voice.
What do I truly mean by inner voice?
The inner voice can be described perhaps as the commentator inside our minds, shaping our feelings and how we see people and situations. Admittedly, sometimes it is helpful, guiding us through challenging problems with clarity. During other times, it can be biased, reactive or perhaps defensive towards assumptions. Critical thinking lends us that helping hand to take the first step in becoming aware of the inner voice so we can process it, respond to it, adapt and evolve.
It does take work! It involves asking reflective questions such as:
What do I actually know?
Where does the evidence for what I know come from?
Am I stuck with my own positioning on a matter?
These questions require honesty. Being honest with ourselves can seem a struggle, especially when we have deep-rooted beliefs on a matter. It helps if we can (even if momentarily) start seeing other perspectives besides our own.
I like to think that critical thinking moves the uncertainty of the inner voice into a place of curiosity where we can open our minds to much more than just our own beliefs.
Filtering towards clarity
Have you ever sat in a meeting or perhaps been a part of a social gathering, where an individual has not filtered their thoughts before communicating them? It can lead the conversation in a different direction.
This is where I like to think that the inner voice has taken over, and without the necessary filtering, what they are saying may sound random, unusual, messy or chaotic. Of course, not every single interaction needs a filter, but I do think that it is worth having an internal conversation in more professional settings before communicating information. This doesn’t mean we have to strip the emotion out of it, but actually, it allows us to be more purposeful.
Habits to refine the inner voice
I think it’s worth always finding out more through asking questions and listening before responding. This provides us with a better, more informed context. It takes some getting used to at first, but I think when you aren’t feeling the external pressure to just simply contribute, you can give your inner voice a chance to become much more thoughtful and reflective.
Try it and let me know how you get on!