What is Intrapersonal Communication?

What is Intrapersonal communication? Does it affect how you talk to other people and how your communication skills?

Intrapersonal communication is communication that a person has with him or herself.
Although some might take the position that no communication is needed if only one party is involved, we communicate with ourselves all the time.

Intrapersonal communication can encompass:

Sense-making (see Karl Weick) e.g. interpreting maps, texts, signs, and symbols

Interpreting non-verbal communication (see Albert Mehrabian) e.g. gestures, eye contact

Communication between body parts; e.g. "My stomach is telling me it's time for lunch."

Speaking aloud ("talking to oneself"), reading aloud, repeating what one hears; the additional activities of speaking and hearing (in the third case of hearing again) what one thinks, reads or hears may increase concentration and retention.

Making gestures while thinking: the additional activity, on top of thinking, of body motions, may again increase concentration, assist in problem solving, and assist memory.

Intrapersonal communication is important because when you get it right you feel empowered and this comes across in your communication skills with the outside world.

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