Do you think in words or concepts?

Question

By concepts I mean pretty much anything nonverbal - images, sounds, or those abstract moments where everything clicks into place.

Thanks everyone! Those were exactly the responses to I was looking for.

Me?

I think mainly in concepts, especially in those "stream of consciousness" moments that give you just the best sense of mental freedom. The only time I really think in words is when I'm either writing, preparing for a conversation or stage performance, or thinking about deep concepts that require words to set down your feelings.

Answer 1

both....in other words a combination of them lol

Answer 2

Words mostly. But I know what you mean by thinking in concepts, and what you mean by "those abstract moments". I also have a hard time translating my abstract moments into words, causing me to forget them immediately and then spend a few minutes wondering how important they were. Not very fun, but in the scale of things no big deal. And it's not like that only happens to me.
Other than that the only time I think in anything other than words is when I'm about to fall asleep, and I get these dreamy, random images, or images of whatever I've been doing for most of the day. In general I'm just not a very visual thinker. Even when I write I don't visualize my characters.

Answer 3

This is just an opinion, but from my training and education I believe we think differently at different ages in our lives, but mostly we think in concepts. Babies are not able to think in words, yet don't they learn to cry when they want something? Perhaps they visualize a bottle when they are hungry. They must have a concept of what they want rather than a word, at least until they learn the word.
When I am trying to work something out in my mind part of it seems to be in words, but I seem to put it together with a concept like I am doing right now. Even though I am putting words into this box, I am thinking of the concept of what I want to express. Sometimes when we are telling a story about something that happened to us during the day, don't we actually visualize it while describing it?
I am sure someone will be able to express this idea much better than this, but this is just my opinion, and I do not have any references to back it up, at least not right now.

Answer 4

Concepts in themselves mean nothing without the verbal or written drawing of the concept. By that I mean, when you have formed the concept in your mind you have only pictured it. In order for other people to understand your concept you must then translate that concept or picture from your mind to either verbal, written, drawings, or some other form of translating your idea, or your concept. Concepts without translation is like an assumption to yourself but never proven. The bad part of this is no one else will even know you have a concept unless some form of communication has been established.

Answer 5

I tend to think in pictures, esp. diagrams! I was switched from Left-handed to Right in the 1st Gr., which screwed up my laterality, my speech and stuttering caused me great embarrassment and shame--esp when I flunked lst Gr because I couldn't reMEMBER that "Whole Word" reading system!!! Nothing made sense to me, but was able to memorize the test material and then regurgitate it back on the exams through HS and college. That was the quality of the '30's and 40's education. Later, when I lived in Japan, I learned conversational Japanese, and then realized that Hiragana and Katakana characters were PHONIC!!! I'd never heard of that--so EAGERLY went to work reading the children's fairy tale books and wandering all over Kyushu, reading and speaking with people!!! This seemed to heal my learning block; went to UC Berkeley as a mid-30 yr old, got a teaching credential and later an MA and Ed Specalist in Guidance and Counseling. Worked with very troubled adolescents for 21 yrs and we did a LOT of diagramming of their bhr, feelings and Family of Origin stuff!! Great results, generally.-----YES, re "where everthing clicks into place." GREAT adrenaline rush and JOY!

Answer 6

I think words, as a whole, should be used very much more as a form of expression rather than thinking wise. I don't know, but I feel thinking in words limits you in certain ways, its better to visualize your concept in the whole, which I feel I do.

Answer 7

Hm...thats actually a really good question. I think for me, both. When I'm writing or thinking about what to say I obvoiusly think words. I think that I think in concepts when I'm not trying to think and then when I am I'm sorta thinking words to my self. Like a conversation with myself.

Answer 8

I'm not really sure. I guess I have a tendency to think more in words? Although with daydreaming, I play the scene in my head, without words explaining what's happening (the only words are the dialogue).

Answer 9

I've noticed that I always think in words and at a pace slow enough for a 'voice' to narrate these words. I also tend to read at this speed, although I am capable of reading much faster.

I wish my mind wouldn't work like this, but...

Answer 10

If I think in concepts, I must instantaneously translate those mentally into words because I feel that I think in words.

How about you?

Answer 11

Do you in hear frequency? Dolphin lover, or just hip to 2 4 1 specials that our youth convey in their text messages.