Some observations on communication

[stealthdragon.livejournal.com]

I'm finding that when someone is at the front, it's clear that they're thinking in words. As one gets farther from the front, thoughts communicated to the fronter seem to be stripped of language - closer to pure concept. It makes communication a bit difficult, since the fronter often has to stop and parse whatever concept was just handed to them.

Since language is linked to memory, this may be why most of us don't have the same kind of access to memories of when we're not fronting. On the other hand, none of us seem to notice any subjective difference between thinking in a way that the others percieve as words, and in a way that comes across as wordless.

Does anyone else have this sort of thing going on? And if so, have you found anything in particular that makes communication easier?

Thanks,
-Us

Comments

[kiya]

Our verbal skills are pretty much consistent depending on aspects. Which gets confounding when Silver or Stormy or someone else who doesn't do well with language has front. Fortunately, since the system is very fluid, there's usually space for someone who can actually handle language to run translations.

[stealthdragon.livejournal.com]

I used to think that Esmerelda preferred not to think in words, but it seems that she was just never close enough to the front for me to hear them.

- Kathru

Addendum:

[stealthdragon.livejournal.com]

We're considering whether language itself is anchored to the front, rather than being a stable skill or property of any individual.

It's also possible that we learned to avoid using language when away from the front so that we wouldn't disturb whoever did happen to be fronting. (Each of us has a limited number of verbal thought-threads, which are easily interrupted by things like ambient noise.)

- Kat

[mysidia-system.livejournal.com]

There is an area that just is dark and empty that makes people go numb and not be able to process thoughts or feelings as they normally would. We do have 2 people inside that have a very strong sense for people and their feelings so we use them to help us get an idea of how to help the people who get into this numbing state.

[sethrenn.livejournal.com]

Thought transference is our primary means of communication with each other. In order to change it, we'd have to change the fundamental nature of how we think, which would be more difficult (and less permanent, I suspect) than translating into words at the front.

[pthalo]

For some of us, it's actually easier to communicate inside. And my memories all tend to be more sensory than verbal. We seem to have access to them inside. At least I and a few others do.

[jadedmosaic.livejournal.com]

We have CM: who tracks what were all thinking and plows through it and transfers it to the fronter otherwise we would be pausing a long timeup front and waiting for the right answers.

Its sounds odd but she is a running commentary and fronters hear really her thunder. Plus feel the added headache if they do not pay attention and get it. She wont putz around and repeat herself, which is scarey about fronting. All our fronters get a dim headache while fronting. Thnx Elaine nad Brayz pac from Mosaic Hoouse Gang

[lgrau.livejournal.com]

How do you think someone who preferred to think in concepts/etc whether they're "close to the front" or not would fit into that? Just curious of your thoughts on that; it's the case with many of us.

-L.

[stealthdragon.livejournal.com]

Hm. Thinking in concepts with a setup like that might be something like always having a verbal translation available when you want it - no extra effort on your part.

As I said, though, none of us has been able to notice a subjective difference. It's the format in which ones' thoughts are percieved by others that changes.

- Kat

[draegonhawke.livejournal.com]

It's kinda like that with my soulbonds. khor_tatueldi communicates in streams of complex concept, and usually later complains about how poorly I've translated him. With anra_neoteric, it starts off as a low undercurrent of mood, but sooner or later I can hear the words layered over it.

[maryanni.livejournal.com]

With us, we have separate languages inside. Some of them are spoken, some are more like sethrenn talked about: thought transference.

They don't necessarily seem like completely spoken languages. . .not sure how to explain it. Probably still sleep exhausted.

[ksol1460.livejournal.com]

Yes. That's why we speak of our communication in terms of radio.

[dark-musashi.livejournal.com]

The rare times we discuss, we "speak" with words, but when Jessica just wants to express her feelings or idea, that's pure concept as well.
I don't really have tips to make communication easier... I don't know if it's a good idea, but what about letting someone( or several members of your system) "translate" thoughts into "speech", or vice-versa?

[stealthdragon.livejournal.com]

Hm. Depending on where the translator was at the moment, whoever was fronting might have to translate again. There's only three of us at the moment, so that seems like introducing unnecessary complexity and chances for misunderstanding. Thanks for the suggestion, though.

- Us

[dark-musashi.livejournal.com]

No prob. Being two in the systems, we have never been able to ask someone to translate anything. ^^"