Why is it helpful to talk to yourself

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Despite the fact that many consider self-talk to be the first sign of schizophrenia, it turns out that having a conversation with the "smartest person" is very useful. Why - find out from this article.

Some people talk to themselves quite often. For example, while trying to find a solution to the problem. Or to sort out the to-do list for today. And also to find a lost item in the apartment. As in "The Irony of Fate, or Enjoy Your Bath": "Where did the glasses go? Boca-a-aly!"

And if you are embarrassed to mutter something under your breath while working or walking, then scientists are in a hurry to support you: this is useful. Apparently, those who constantly talk to themselves over the years boast remarkable mental abilities.

Psychologist Gary Lupyan conducted a study in which he showed a specific set of objects to 20 volunteers. He asked to remember each of them. The first group of 10 participants had to repeat aloud the names of the objects shown, for example "banana", "apple", "milk". Then all subjects were taken to the supermarket and asked to find objects on the shelves.

The result of the experiment showed that those who repeated the names of objects aloud during the search found the products they needed faster. The difference with the "silent" ranged from 50 to 100 milliseconds.

“I am constantly chatting with myself while looking for the necessary items in the supermarket or the refrigerator,” says Gary Lupian. It was personal experience that became the reason for conducting a larger-scale experiment. Another psychologist, Daniel Swingley, worked in a team with Lupian. Together, the scientists came to the conclusion: talking to yourself is not just useful - it can make a person a genius. And that's why.

Stimulates memory

When you talk to yourself, your sensory memory store is activated. This structure is responsible for maintaining a limited amount of information for a short period. When you speak out loud, you visualize the meaning of the word. Therefore, it is remembered better.

This effect was recorded in the course of the scientific. The researchers asked the participants to memorize a list of words. One group of volunteers did it quietly, to themselves, while another recited terms aloud. It was those who pronounced each word who remembered the entire list better.

Maintains concentration

When you say a word out loud, you automatically call up an image in memory and consciousness. This helps to maintain concentration and not be distracted from the task at hand. In the case of searching for an item in the supermarket, this works flawlessly.

Of course, this will help if you know what the object you are looking for looks like. For example, say the word "banana" - and the brain recreates a picture of a bright yellow oblong object. But, for example, if you say "cherimoya" without having any idea of what Mark Twain's favorite fruit looks like, there will be little sense.

Clears the mind

Do you know this feeling when thoughts are besieging from all sides? Various: starting from "What am I doing with my life?" and ending with "Oh, still wash the dishes." Talking to yourself will help you deal with this. Talk about what needs to be done right now. In this way, you seem to instruct yourself, prompting you to action.

Likewise, you can get rid of unnecessary emotions. Anger, joy, and frustration are easily overcome with this kind of self-programming. Also, before making a decision, voice it. Hearing yourself as if from the outside, it will be easier for you to understand whether you are really making the right choice or whether it sounds like crazy delusion.