How do deaf people think?

Question

when i think in my mind i hear my own vioce. if deaf people have never heard their own voice or words for that matter, how do they think?

Answer 1

In my opinion, it's their instinct or what or how they feel.  What's in their heart is that how they feel in some ways.  

Answer 2

...thats a very good question, ive never really thought about it.

but i have no idea, sorry!

Answer 3

Actually, most of you not right. As someone with a hearing impairment, I do not think in any of those ways. Thinking in words is a linear way of thinking and processing, and not the best tool for creativity. You see, you are limited by words. Deaf people, as well as people with language difficulties often think in pictures, video and emotions. When you are hungry, in your brain, you hear "I am hungry, I think I'll eat an apple' or something like that. When a person with language difficulties; like a learning disability or deafness is hungry and wants to eat an apple, they would think of how it feels to be hungry, whilst seeing a picture or video of themselves eating an apple. Now obviously, no to people think or process information the same way, but in a roundabout way there are similarities.

It is obviously more complicated than this. If something makes you sad, you might think 'it really made me sad' but deaf children are often not taught about their emotions, and often have problems expressing this, in their thoughts or otherwise. You see the question you ask is really a complicated one, and the answer is very complex, and has to do with each persons learning style. Every person is unique, and it is very hard to make a generalization like that. In the hearing world, about 80% of people think in words or a combination of words and other means. But that still leaves 1 in every 5 hearing people who do not. HEaring people do not only use speech to communicate, they also use print, video, pictures, and made up version of sign languages (such as pointing), hence the variety in thinking styles. In the deaf community, not such figure has been produced. There are many different ways to communicate when one is deaf. Some children may learn a variant of sign language, like Signed English, American Sign Language or British Sign Language, which are all very different. The may read lips, or they may read lips with the aid of cued speech. Some deaf people can utilize their residual hearing, and may be able to wear a hearing aid, and use a combination of lip reading and hearing to communicate. Some may receive a cochlear implant which allows some degree of hearing in an otherwise deaf person, and they may use this hearing with lip reading. Some deaf children grow up in homes where families do not make adaptions for them, and these people may communicate with pointing. Some people may communicate through writing. I think it would be safe to say that a majority of deaf people think in pictures or video. They may see signed words, or print, or pictures of what they are thinking about. They may also hear words, if they have some remaining hearing. After all, I bet the voice you hear in your head is not the same as you voice when you hear it recorded.

Answer 4

They think in Sign Language.

There is one person with Deafness that I know about and this person with Deafness admitted that he/she thinks in Sign Language.

Answer 5

i've thought about that before and i can make different peoples voices in my head but for a deaf person idk unless they could hear before then maybe but that is a very good question i dont know lol that brain teaser lmao