Speaks Quote by Victor Hugo
““Certainly we talk to ourselves; there is no thinking being who has not experienced that. One could even say that the word is never a more magnificent mystery than when, within a man, it travels from his thought to his conscience and returns from his conscience to his thought. This is the only sense of the words, so often used in this chapter, “he said,” “he exclaimed”; we say to ourselves, we speak to ourselves, we exclaim within ourselves, without breaking the external silence. There is great tumult within; everything within us speaks, except the tongue. The realities of the soul, though not visible and palpable, are nonetheless realities. (pg. 226)””
About This Quote
Source Book: Les Misérables, Victor Hugo, 1862
We constantly converse internally, shaping thoughts through a dialogue between mind and conscience.
In simple terms: We talk to ourselves, linking thought and conscience.
Key Takeaway
Listen to your inner dialogue.
Themes
self‑reflection
consciousness
communication
Mood
introspective
thoughtful
Type
philosophical
psychological
When to use this quote
- meditation
- writing
- therapy
- decision making
Key Concepts
inner speech
metacognition
psychology
philosophy
Questions to Reflect On
- How does inner speech influence your actions?
- Can you separate thought from ego?
A Different Perspective
Internal dialogue can reinforce bias or self‑criticism.
