>>8551438
>Is this the result of having no inner monologue?
Most people don't know HOW to think because they've been told all their lives WHAT to think by someone else (television, social pressure, etc). Now that those crutches have been weakened (lack of constant social reinforcement) many people's brains are panicking because they don't know to do with the thoughts they have. They've never had to make a decision about what to do about their thoughts, culture has done it for them by deciding if those thoughts are 'bad' or 'good' to have and what direction is appropriate to take them in.
Most people only know how to follow the herd, so when there suddenly is no more herd to follow they panic because they don't have the mental tools to deal with what's happening.