It’s said that you become wiser with the years. There are, of course, plenty of things that change with life moving forward. We may become more organized, more forgetful, like things we used to dislike, or ever start talking more often to ourselves.
The latter I will admit I’ve been doing a lot in recent years. It may not be easy to accept, but the truth it’s that I’ve found myself, plenty of times, having a heated debate – with no one else but me.
However, there are researchers who claim that this is something very positive!
Yes, there are several surveys and reports that suggest people who talk to themselves have higher intelligence, according to The power of silence.
Easier to remember
In a study published in the Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, it was found that people who are happy to talk to themselves help their brain with both recognition and memory. To summarize it, conversation with yourself is a brilliant way of repeating and cementing the information you recently learn.
In a study released in 2011, for example, researchers asked 20 participants to look for a specific item in a market. Two groups had to think both out loud and silently while looking for the item. The result showed that those talking to themselves about what they were looking for not only found the object easier. They also had an easier time remembering what their mission was.
Moreover, researchers at the British Bangor University also argue that conversations with ourselves can not only help us – it can also be a sign of higher intelligence. The participants got a list of instructions – and were asked to read them both silently and out loud to themselves.
High cognitive functioning
After measuring their efforts and analyzing the participants’ concentration levels, the researchers concluded that people were more concentrated and receptive to what they read when they said the instructions out loud.
One of the study’s authors, the psychologist Paloma Mari-Beffa, said that verbal instructions are easier to follow. She added that talking to yourself can actually be a sign of high cognitive functioning.
So are you one of us who occasionally talk to yourself? Never feel ashamed about it again! Instead, give yourself a pat on the back and consider that you may be smarter than average!
Don’t forget to share this important information with your friends!
