How Introspective Are You?

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It's thought that the ability to self reflect, and analyze one's self, actions, thoughts, perceptions, etc, is controlled by circuitry in the frontal lobes.

Abnormalities in this region have been noted in disorder such as OCD, and autism.

How introspective do you perceive yourself to be?

How would you know if you are answering this question truthfully? For one i don't know how introspective are other people. Most might appear to be less introspective than i am but what if they thoughtso much on how acting light headed was an advantage socially that it became a second nature to them?
Then, to be able to know if you are biased about yourself requires a lot of introspection. Maybe more so than the people who "think" they are unbiased about themselves. Introspection is something that takes up a lot of my energy, but it doesn't mean i am not getting myself wrong sometimes...

ediself mentions some good points!

Maybe you can just compare it by telling each other the introspective thoughts we have and compare that to others.

Here some introspective thoughts about myself and crying:

Sometimes when i am really sad, then i just sit there and there is no expression on my face, and i also don't cry, I just sit there. If i remember it, or when someone asks me, i just say "i was very sad", i describe it like that. But why don't i cry? I think, crying needs some effort to be done, when i am very sad, my body doesn't start crying automatically, my body is also stuck, i would have to make a decision to do it, to start crying, but when really in that sad mode, i don't make this decision, I am too sad to think about that, if i would think of it, then i wouldn't be that sad. Later, I start crying, and sometimes it gets worse then again. I think I just cry when i feel better again.

Hope this was introspective enough? Or not?

byebye,
Anton

That's interesting, because even though I seem to have frontal lobe deficiencies like poor concentration and broken executive function, I have always been ridiculously introspective.

Hmm, upon second reading, it seems there's two things being discussed here. Introspection just means 'looking within', that doesn't necessarily entail knowing or understanding what we are looking at. I'd say I spend a lot of time introspecting, but have (or have had) a poor interoception ability.

Last edited by Moog on 11 Jan 2011, 9:32 am, edited 2 times in total.

I am constantly introspective, although my ability to do so effectively is often limited by my own actual self-awareness, which I have been increasingly learning has not been amazing.

I hypothesize that alexithymic types may introspect more because they find their interior selves so unfathomable. One who understands their interior self without too much trouble would not need to be so introspective.

Dear moog,

i think you are right, the increased introspection is nearly connected with the problem describing it.

Which brings me back to my general assumption, that autistic people besides their social problems just have a more complex way of conciousness.

byebye,
anton

I wonder if this has anything to do with my complete inability to answer "What is your favorite X?" questions.

Interesting. I don't know. I've always found those questions difficult to answer, too. I will be thinking about that one.

Here's one way I've heard autistic brains compared to NT brains: NT brains build strong and straightforward neurological pathways. Our brains (for whatever reason) make more complicated routes to the same destinations. So it seems that we do indeed have more complicated processes.

Thing is, I don't know if I'm alexithymic - although I have been more aware in the past month but I think my emotions have been more subdued in the past month. On the other hand having spent years with depression without quite realizing it's depression... I had to conclude this from the fact I had suicidal thoughts.

Huh.

Last edited by Verdandi on 11 Jan 2011, 10:38 am, edited 1 time in total.

That would be dependent upon use of an external standard.


That is why we need to discuss with others our findings.


"Typical" would likely be more common there.


All of those stems from presumption of being "okay" unless something seems whacky.


Yes, we each do have a navel.

I think I spent the years 5 through 25 depressed but I didn't have the capacity to express my feelings. Also, I just thought it was normal. My parents also seem autistic, so I think they thought it was normal too. I had a hard time understanding that other people didn't feel crippling anxiety and depression at all times. I don't think I ever connected my internal feelings of anxiety and depression to the words until I was in my mid twenties. Then I had something to work with.

Yeah, I didn't think there was anything unusual about my anxiety until it somehow translated into routine panic attacks. Depression took a lot longer.

I did (and still do) have an active fantasy life and vivid dreams, though.

spot on.

Last edited by Mdyar on 16 Jan 2011, 4:26 pm, edited 1 time in total.

I consider myself to be a very introspective person, but I don't always understand why I think, feel or behave certain ways.