“There are voices all around us, our enemies and our friends
Do this, don’t do that, the chorus never ends
But I shall always listen to that quiet inner voice, it’s still, and definite and
I have made my choice”
A song from my childhood, the ‘Sing Along’ book that we held closely to our chests to guide us through our weekly music classes at school seems more relevant than ever now. I not only listen more to the inner voice but also enjoy a quiet monologue with the self, that is most helpful when I am confused or deluded. In a world filled with inane dialogue, voices that drown reason and general cacophony that seems to accompany every social interaction, the inner voice is muffled and barely heard. There is hardly any time for quiet contemplation that helps make sound decisions when one is engulfed by ‘surround sound’ all through the year. Not just our speech but everything has become louder with the pitch defining the person’s standing, not just on television debates but in normal discussions by ordinary people in living rooms and at social gatherings. During conversations most people want to put across their point of view (POV seen in all videos on social media) and no one wants to listen. When we have lost the power of listening, how can we hear other views, leave alone our own inner voice?
We have time and again seen cinematic depictions of the ‘inner voice’ in numerous Indian films with the protagonist torn by conflicting views, negative and positive shown by his persona mouthing them from both sides of the screen before the final decision is arrived at. We also got to hear the ‘inner voice’ expression politically when Congress leader Sonia Gandhi refused to accept the Prime Minister’s post purportedly after listening to her ‘inner voice’ that told her that she would be more powerful as King Maker. Talking to oneself, also known as self-talk or ‘inner voice’ is a natural cognitive process that can be healthy and beneficial as it helps regulate and process emotions. For example, if a person self-talks about feeling nervous or angry, it could help him or her by directing focus to improve nerves or anger, control emotions and think before responding to situations. This is a good thing because most people respond first, and think later, and this strains relationships that sometimes can be damaged forever. A study conducted a decade ago suggests that people with anxiety, including social anxiety could benefit from engaging in self-talk. Researchers found that people referring to themselves in the third person could distance themselves from their distressing feelings and process, regulate and analyze their emotions to help reduce anxiety. It is quite natural for a person to have an internal monologue unheard by others while engaging with tasks and processing thoughts and emotions. Solitude, different from loneliness is a condition that offers time for a state of equanimity where the roller coaster of emotions, does not hold sway over reason. It is undoubtedly most conducive for the ‘inner voice’. The last lines of the song that I began with say “Take time to listen, have courage to obey, the inner voice is calling, calling you” and cannot really be contested.