According To Psychology, Talking To Yourself Is A Sign Of Higher Intellect

-

Talking to yourself may be a sign that you’re clever, not crazy.

Scientists have found that talking to yourself is a way of stimulating the brain, and found the more you do it, the more likely you are to have a higher intellect.

The study, published in the Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology was conducted by Gary Lupyan from the University of Wisconsin.

He says: 

“It’s not an irrational thing to do,” and “You don’t know everything you’re going to say – you can even surprise yourself.”

Gary’s work includes a study in which he asked subjects to look for objects on a computer screen. Half of the test subjects were asked to speak the name of the object they were looking for out loud and half were told to remain silent, guess which half located the object faster?

Speaking words out loud physically activates the brain which makes it work faster and more efficiently.

Lupyan says:

“Saying a name out loud is a powerful retrieval cue,” and “Think of it as a pointer to a chunk of information in your mind. Hearing the name exaggerates what might normally happen if you just bring something to mind. Language boosts that process.”

Therapists have also backed up the theory that speaking out loud really helps. Former psychologist Anne Wilson Schaef says that she would get her clients to say out loud things that were troubling them, and after speaking the words, the anger would disappear.

Problems that occupy your mind are taking up physical space in there, speaking them lets them and frees up space in your brain for it to focus on better, more important things.

The next time you see someone talking to themselves in the street, they might not be crazy, they might actually be a genius.

mm
Matt Orwell
Matt is a renowned journalist, activist, and life guru. A passionate writer and freethinker, Matt is awake to the reality that really molds us. By using his plethora of experience and knowledge, he is able to connect to the world, providing valuable insights and reporting in hope of creating a more informed, more sustainable, and more awake planet.

Most viral

“Extinct” Taiwanese Leopard Seen For The First Time Since Disappearing in 1983

In recent years, the Earth has experienced some really tumultuous times. Conservationists say that our planet is undergoing the sixth mass extinction in its...

Mexico’s First “Smart Forest City” Will Be 100% Food and Energy Self-Sufficient

Architecture firm 'Stefano Boeri Architetti' based in the Italian city of Milan has recently unveiled some mind-blowing designs for a nature-inspired "smart city" in...

Hemp Batteries Are Even More Powerful Than Lithium and Graphene, New Study Shows

Hemp is a wonder crop. It's an incredibly versatile plant that can be used for a huge range of purposes. Used in the sustainable manufacture of...

Latest Posts

Study: Atheists Are Far More Likely to Get Vaccinated Than Any Religious Group

The Pew Research Center has just collated the results of a new study showing that atheists are more likely to get the COVID vaccine...

Rare Kitten Born With ‘Two Faces’ Grows Up To Be The Most Beautiful Cat You’ve Ever Seen

It's fair to say that we generally stay well away from two-faced people, but I challenge you to find anything more adorable on the...