Talking to Yourself

            Do you talk to yourself? I talk to myself all the time. There was a time that I became embarrassed when someone walked into the room and asked, “Are you talking to yourself?” or “Who are you talking to?” I now feel comfortable replying that I am talking to myself or anyone else who wishes to listen to me.

            The turning point for me was a lesson given in Relief Society about talking to ourselves. A good friend named Terry gave the lesson and encouraged us to talk to ourselves with constructive comments. She emphasized that it is important for us to talk to ourselves positively for affirmation. We can tell ourselves “good job” when no one else is around or even cares. Studies show that reading out loud to oneself helps in learning.

            I recently read an article where psychologists at a university gave written instructions to 28 people and asked them to read the instructions either silently or out loud. Their concentration and performance were then measured. “They found when people read instructions out loud, their brains absorb more of the material than if they only use their inner dialogue.” 

            Talking to ourselves out loud may even be a sign of greater intelligence according to Dr. Paloma Mari-Beffa, a senior lecturer in neuropsychology and cognitive psychology.

Our results demonstrated that, even if we talk to ourselves to gain control during challenging tasks, performance substantially improves when we do it out loud.

Talking out loud, when the mind is not wandering, could actually be a sign of high cognitive functioning.

The stereotype of the mad scientist talking to themselves, lost in their own inner world, might reflect the reality of a genius who uses all the means at their disposal to increase their brain power.

            So, there you have it. Talking out loud and making positive comments to self can increase self-confidence and bolster self-esteem. It may also be a sign of intelligence, even genius, when a person does it.