Talking to yourself used to be seen as an initial sign of madness. Now, however, scientists have found it might not be a bad thing, reports Sydney Morning Herald.
Researchers from the University of Toronto in Canada asked a group of university students to undertake computer tests on self-control. According to Associate Professor Michael Inzlicht, the results showed the students acting more impulsively if they couldn’t talk themselves through the tests, . "Without being able to verbalise messages to themselves, they were not able to exercise the same amount of self-control as when they could talk themselves through the process," he said.
"It’s always been known that people have internal dialogues with themselves but . . . this study shows that talking to ourselves in this ‘inner voice’ actually helps us exercise self-control and prevents us from making impulsive decisions," PhD student and study leader Alexa Tullett said.
Imagine my relief when I read this research finding! As someone who frequently engages in monologues when I’m alone (no, not when there are people around – I’m not that crazy), I always thought that it wasn’t not such a big deal. Still, I didn’t want to share my “crazy” with the rest of the world. Now if I get caught during one of my monologues, rather than denying being an escapee from the nearby psych ward, I can simply say that I am exercising my self-control and making thoughtful decisions. Neat.
