Thinking in Pictures
Temple Grandin is absolutely fascinating to listen to! I just love her. She talks about what makes her different in the video above–if you have time–it’s a fascinating speech!
She talks about how people with autism process communication.
When you listen to someone tell you a story, how to think about it? Do you think in language or perhaps pictures? Or maybe a combination of both?
I have known for a while I think in pictures for most of my thoughts, but I thought everyone did. I don’t even know if I can even think verbally. I never see words. I always see images. I paint movies in my head like Temple Grandin talks about.
I have realized some of my ability to pick out liars comes from being a visual person. I paint the stories people tell as images in my head and make mental movies of them, so when people change their stories, I see the movies and know the story has changed. I don’t think at all in terms of words, though words can stand out to me. This concept is rather perplexing to me.
I, like Temple Grandin, thought most people thought in pictures.
How do you think?
I can’t participate in the poll. 🙁 I don’t fit into those categories. Sound and inflection make a difference to me, and images, shapes, colors, and the feelings they evoke make a difference to me, but I can only figure that I am a conceptual thinker? I had not considered this until asked and I don’t think that I am unlike Temple, but I don’t think that I am the same, either. That’s a bizarre statement, but I know someone will understand that! I will notice differences in patterns of anything. Sound, expressions, temperament, departures from vocabulary, body language, pitch, color, scent, temperature, general timing, etc. …but it’s not really about “patterns.” Crap, I have to think about this, I am just not hitting the nail on the head. lol, it’s not every day that you try to be objective about your own process. What I think is easier for me to tell you than how I think. However, I can tell you how someone else thinks in far easier. That’s messed up. lol
I think without a doubt words are useful for thinking with. Without concepts there isn’t much thought, nor much communication of thought to others. But there is a place for visual thinking. I’m actually looking at visualization in mathematics and find it very useful.
I’m a very verbal thinking but for the record, I don’t see the words. I hear them. It’s basically a long string of talking to mysel about a subject. And what Temple said about the church steeple was dead-on to me. It the topic of thought is primarily a visual one, I get a vague composite image of the object, not a specific one. And I am quite terrible with details and visualization. I am quite good with logic and abstract thought. But my real point is I don’t think most language based thinkers see the words. I would be curious if others had a different experience
I’ve always considered myself a visual person. I’ve also had people describe me as someone who they believes is a visual person. And yet, like you I think, I don’t know for sure that I don’t think in words either. I never thought about thinking in words. I’m not sure what that’s like… so I may do it do, or I may be able to do it. I remember going on a hike when I was about 10 years old. It was about 2 hours each way, through thick woods, over rocks, through creeks. For the next few years, I was positive I could retrace every single step and marker (there was no path) and hike it on my own.
In NYC, somebody only needs to say a street and it’s cross street, and if I’ve been there (which by now, I probably have, although the city changes fast), I can visualize what’s there or pretty darn close. I’ll start big and go small: 34th & 7th. That’s Penn Station. I know that, but I’m looking for 30th and 8th, so I’ll re walk myself in my minds eye through that terrain (as much as I can). Doesn’t always work, but often enough to surprise me.
I don’t know though when somebody says, “house”. I think of a white basic house. I could add more detail if I wanted to, but it depends on context. I’m not sure if I’m the same as this woman in regard to thinking in pictures.
I do know when somebody says something jokingly vulgar or disgusting, I often find myself saying, “Stop. I’m really visual and that image took 1 second to create and it’ll be day for me to forget.”
Anyway, when I get time I’m going to watch her entire talk. I think it’s an hour twenty. Thanks!