Thought

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v50.12 · v0.47.05 This article is about the current version of DF. Note that some content may still need to be updated. More Info · V

Thoughts are the reported observations and sentiments of dwarves in Fortress mode, visible on the thoughts and preferences subscreen of their profile. Over the course of play, a dwarf will experience circumstances that evoke specific emotions based on its personality.

A dwarf's recent emotions contribute to its stress level, displayed on the thoughts and preferences screen in somewhat subjective terms. A dwarf's level of stress will affect the type of strange mood he can undergo, and the changes in status that triggers bad thoughts about thirst, hunger, and fatigue extoll physical costs on the dwarf and, except (directly) in the case of fatigue, can be lethal. To avoid bad thoughts, make keeping your dwarves happy a priority.

To view a dwarf's recent thoughts and current stress level, press k, move the cursor to the dwarf, and press enter twice, or v, move to the dwarf, then z and enter. This brings you to the thoughts and preferences screen for that dwarf, which, among other things, describes the dwarf's overall stress level as well as their constituent thoughts.

Below is a list of circumstances that may inspire thoughts.

Accommodations

Thought	Trigger
after sleeping in a bedroom like a personal palace after sleeping in a (fantastic/great/very good/good) bedroom	Slept in a (not necessarily assigned) bedroom of a certain quality recently; see Room#Quality.
after sleeping in a (horribly substandard/horrible/awful/very poor/poor) bedroom	A member of the dwarven nobility who has slept in a less-than-satisfactory bedroom; see Noble#Needs.
dining in a (legendary/fantastic/great/very good/good) dining room	Dined in a (usually not assigned) dining room of a certain quality recently; see Room#Quality.
dining in a (horribly substandard/horrible/awful/very poor/poor) dining room	A member of the dwarven nobility who has dined in a less-than-satisfactory dining room; see Noble#Needs.
after sleeping uneasily due to noise after being disturbed during sleep by loud noises after loud noises made it impossible to sleep	Was sleeping in the zone of influence of a noise source.
after sleeping without a proper room	Was sleeping and couldn't find a bed designated as a bedroom not assigned to someone else.
after sleeping (in/on) the (mud/dirt/grass/rocks/ice/a rough cave floor/floor/a pile of driftwood)	Could not find any bed for sleeping, or Dwarf is a Hunter. The thought may be dependent upon the terrain.
when (drowsy/utterly sleep-deprived)	Became sleepy but wasn't able to sleep because a task had to be completed. Extreme tiredness will lead to insanity, but could only really happen when a mother is looking for her infant.

Nourishment

Thought	Triggered by
after having a (pretty decent/fine/wonderful/truly decadent/legendary) drink	Dwarf drank booze they have a preference for. (level determined by alcohol stack's value[1])
after eating a (pretty decent meal/fine dish/wonderful dish/truly decadent dish/legendary meal)	Dwarf ate food they have a preference for. (level determined by meal value)
when (thirsty/hungry)	Got hungry or thirsty and didn't eat or drink soon enough.
when (dehydrated/starving)	Has not had food or drink for a long time and will soon die if immediate remedial action is not taken.
after being forced to eat vermin to survive	Dwarf hunted vermin for food due to starvation. Will still die if real food is not provided immediately.
drinking nasty water	Got thirsty and had to drink stagnant water because no alcohol or fresh water was available.
drinking the same old booze eating the same old food	Drinking the same variety of alcohol or eating the same type of food repeatedly.
after being forced to eat a (beloved creature/treasured pet) to survive	Of course if things get this bad a tantrum spiral can't make it that much worse.

Amenities

Thought	Trigger
near (own) (very fine/splendid/wonderful/completely sublime) (tastefully arranged) [building]	Passed by a constructed piece of furniture or building requiring architecture and noticed it. Bonus is randomly determined: x is based on value, multiplier based on and whether or not the dwarf owns the item in question (x2) and whether or not they have a preference for it (a further x2).
after a bath	Was cleaned with soap during the administration of medical care.
after a soapy bath	Dwarf cleaned contaminants from self using soap.
being near to a waterfall	Sprayed by mist from a waterfall, which dwarves find relaxing.
after retching on a miasma after choking on (smoke/dust) underground	Dwarf was exposed to miasma, smoke, or a cave in recently. Impact based on personality traits.
at the lack of chairs	Was eating and couldn't find an unoccupied chair.
eating at a crowded table	Tried to eat at a table someone else was already eating at (only occurs if there are no free tables).
at the lack of dining tables	Was eating and couldn't find a table next to an available chair sat on while eating.