How often do you think thoughts about yourself ("I", "me", "my")? How happy are you? (Research

This is just me trying to do some research here on human thought. Tell me how often do you think of the words "I", "me", "my", "mine", "myself" in your head? If you had to guess what percentage out of 100% do you think "I" thoughts? And how happy are you?

When I'm on my computer, the fact that I own it doesn't come to mind. I just say "the computer" - like it is just here not owned by anyone.

From observation, people who use the word "my" a lot seem to be more worried about their image or more selfish than others, but it could just be these individuals. What do you think?

Imagine if you replaced "I" , with "we"? When you are hungry you say "yea, we should eat potato salad today" even when you are just talking about yourself? We being your "mind" you (your voice in head) and the other you - the physical body.

As of lately i haven't been thinking of me as me, i am almost feeling disassociated with my body. But then maybe its just me knowing that none of this is"real" or truth.

So in essence "The computer" belongs to no-one. You mind letting me know where I can pick up "the computer" since it belongs to us all? Those are just words of ownership and preference. If you started replacing them you would have no claim to anything and would constantly be implying everyone ought to like and think the same things as you. I wouldn't say, "can you babysit "the kid" I would say my or his/hers or after seeing a movie, ""we" liked that movie." You will start to sound like smeagol/gallum from Lord of the Rings.

reply to post by Newagekid2012


I never really liked when people say reality isn't real. It must be real in some sense to be experienced. Even a video game you are able to experience the character and running around with the other characters and background and I wouldn't want to devalue that because it would probably ruin the experience. Anyway, I think I am getting a bit off topic.

reply to post by g0dhims3lf

Originally posted by g0dhims3lf
So in essence "The computer" belongs to no-one. You mind letting me know where I can pick up "the computer" since it belongs to us all?

I didn't say it belongs to us all, nor did I say it belongs to no one. I simply said that when I see it, it is just "the computer" no thoughts of ownership comes to mind at all. It is just there and I use it.

Originally posted by g0dhims3lf
So in essence "The computer" belongs to no-one. You mind letting me know where I can pick up "the computer" since it belongs to us all?

Originally posted by g0dhims3lf
...If you started replacing them you would have no claim to anything and would constantly be implying everyone ought to like and think the same things as you...or after seeing a movie, ""we" liked that movie."

No, it wouldn't be implying that since I specifically said the we would be the " mind" you and the physical "body" you. I'm talking about the thoughts of the mind.

edit on 9-1-2013 by arpgme because: (no reason given)

I'm exclusively an "I" thinker.

I say "My laptop" - but that's because it is not the only one in the house!

If I am hungry I say I am hungry, I should eat. I don't say we should eat because I have no idea if the people I am with are hungry, and there is only 1 of me!

I am a recluse most of the time so it is hard for me to answer that question but I will give it some thought.

Originally posted by arpgme

Imagine if you replaced "I" , with "we"? When you are hungry you say "yea, we should eat potato salad today" even when you are just talking about yourself? We being your "mind" you (your voice in head) and the other you - the physical body.

This is duality. You think there is two of you.
When the two become one the kingdom shall be revealed.

I say "we" when I am alone but I am not talking to myself.

I say I a lot when writing but I think it is because *I* am constantly reflecting on things *I* experience and therefore *I* take ownership of what *I* write.

*I* also cannot stand when people constantly speak as though they speak for a group without properly addressing the group or using the groups own words or quotes. *I* think *I* use *I* a lot because *I* have always always been against herd mentality. *I* find that this has always been a problem for *me* because most other people tend to be a part of a hive mind of society.

Originally posted by NotAnAspie
I say "we" when I am alone but I am not talking to myself.

Who are you talking to if you are alone and you say 'we'?

Originally posted by Itisnowagain

Originally posted by NotAnAspie
I say "we" when I am alone but I am not talking to myself.

Who are you talking to if you are alone and you say 'we'?

My angel... and yes, he talks back to me.

Others do not notice him but neither did I for a very long time.

Originally posted by NotAnAspie

Originally posted by Itisnowagain

Originally posted by NotAnAspie
I say "we" when I am alone but I am not talking to myself.

Who are you talking to if you are alone and you say 'we'?

My angel... and yes, he talks back to me.

Others do not notice him but neither did I for a very long time.

In that case you are not alone when you say 'we'. Is the angel only present when there is no one else around?

We is used in the context when two or more are synergised on a particular thing. I represents distintively separate and indivdual states.

Like
we were lovers
we were crazy
we were hungry
we didnt agree

as opposed to
I was a lover
she was hater
I was hungry
she was full
I was reasonable
she was not reasonable

Its word semenatics, and not worth reading too much into.

Originally posted by Itisnowagain

Originally posted by NotAnAspie

Originally posted by Itisnowagain

Originally posted by NotAnAspie
I say "we" when I am alone but I am not talking to myself.

Who are you talking to if you are alone and you say 'we'?

My angel... and yes, he talks back to me.

Others do not notice him but neither did I for a very long time.

In that case you are not alone when you say 'we'. Is the angel only present when there is no one else around?

My point clearly is that anyone else would think I was alone. In other words, if you were ever to overhear me when you think I am alone and I say "we"... I am probably just talking to my angel. This is why I pointed out that others do not notice him.

Yes, he is with me when others are around.

Sometimes still I overlook him in haste and have to quiet myself to understand, because he can be very hard to hear sometimes... but it's important to learn to be a good, observant listener anyway.

Originally posted by AthlonSavage


Its word semenatics, and not worth reading too much into.

Same as pointing out to some one that if I am with someone, I am not alone.

Gee, what a revelation. What am I, like 2 and in preschool?

OP... maybe you should just stop trying to put things in black and white and try using a little intuition instead of insisting on such rigid quidelines to achieve an understanding of something with no certain rigid form....???

You're probably just going to give yourself a headache.

reply to post by NotAnAspie


I see people chatting away to themselves all the time. Maybe they all have angels and are not really talking to themselves.
The problem with language is that when we learn to speak we cannot stop speaking. Even when there is no one around to speak to the chatter continues, most do it internally (thinking) but some do it out loud.
Speech mind does not give us any rest until it is understood.


I will add this insightful talk about speech mind.
youtu.be...

reply to post by NotAnAspie

Same as pointing out to some one that if I am with someone, I am not alone.

Gee, what a revelation. What am I, like 2 and in preschool?

OP... maybe you should just stop trying to put things in black and white and try using a little intuition instead of insisting on such rigid quidelines to achieve an understanding of something with no certain rigid form....???

You're probably just going to give yourself a headache.

I couldnt of explained it better

Originally posted by arpgme
This is just me trying to do some research here on human thought. Tell me how often do you think of the words "I", "me", "my", "mine", "myself" in your head? If you had to guess what percentage out of 100% do you think "I" thoughts? And how happy are you?

When I'm on my computer, the fact that I own it doesn't come to mind. I just say "the computer" - like it is just here not owned by anyone.

From observation, people who use the word "my" a lot seem to be more worried about their image or more selfish than others, but it could just be these individuals. What do you think?

Imagine if you replaced "I" , with "we"? When you are hungry you say "yea, we should eat potato salad today" even when you are just talking about yourself? We being your "mind" you (your voice in head) and the other you - the physical body.

But you cannot look at a computer and say 'wes computer' so 'we' cannot be exchanged for 'my'/ 'mine'. Are you saying that you would look at a computer and say 'our' computer?

'We' and 'our' are still identification.
The issue is who is speaking and who is hearing. How many do you think you are?

I have already posted this link above but it is really eyeopening and well worth a listen:
youtu.be...

reply to post by NotAnAspie

Originally posted by NotAnAspie

Same as pointing out to some one that if I am with someone, I am not alone.

Did you understand the reasoning of why I talked about using the word "we" in the original post even when you are "alone"?

Originally posted by NotAnAspie
OP... maybe you should just stop trying to put things in black and white and try using a little intuition instead of insisting on such rigid quidelines to achieve an understanding of something with no certain rigid form....???

You're probably just going to give yourself a headache.

Why should I stop do thought experiments on the dual (black and white) concept? And how would that mean that I don't use intuition just because I do thought experiments? Nope, no headache here, just interest of what the majority would choose.

reply to post by Itisnowagain

Originally posted by Itisnowagain
But you cannot look at a computer and say 'wes computer' so 'we' cannot be exchanged for 'my'/ 'mine'. Are you saying that you would look at a computer and say 'our' computer?

No, I say "the computer", not "my", "our" etc.

Originally posted by Itisnowagain
'We' and 'our' are still identification.
The issue is who is speaking and who is hearing. How many do you think you are?

The idea behind saying "we" is this:

There is the mind and there is the body. The body will go through things that the mind doesn't (sensations, hunger, etc.) saying "we" is like the mind and body being ONE, but to keep awareness that there is the observer (the mind) and the body...

reply to post by arpgme


thought experiments are fine, although in this example of the we the context of possibilities are so open ended it renders any result without meaningful form.

reply to post by AthlonSavage


Imagine if when you talked about yourself in your mind - instead of saying "I" referring to the body or mind at different times - you said "we" keeping the awareness that there is the mind and the body ? It may help people who get to "pulled" into the body and forget the mind - the awareness - the part that watches this all. How do you think that would affect people's perspective?