Sadism refers to deriving pleasure from the pain or suffering of others. Some individuals actively inflict harm, while others are satisfied by merely observing it. This harm may manifest in physical, emotional, psychological, or sexual forms. In everyday contexts, individuals with sadistic tendencies may attempt to control others, publicly humiliate them, or misuse power to cause harm. Sadism frequently co-occurs with other personality traits, including psychopathy, narcissis

Inner speech—that subjective experience of silent, self-directed verbal thought—is recognized not merely as cognitive background noise but as a core component of human cognition, self-regulation, and identity formation. How, then, does this private dialogue sustain our sense of being the same person, moment after moment, year after year?