Why do we sometimes talk to ourselves?

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Sometimes we talk to ourselves to stay sane. Far from being a trait of madness, we are facing a beneficial strategy, one in which self-directed speech allows us to delve into our own needs and resolve them.

Why do we sometimes talk to ourselves? Is it, perhaps, a characteristic of “we are losing our minds” ? As we well know, rambling and reasoning out loud without having any other interlocutor in front of you is usually frowned upon. However, it is a healthy practice that is worth doing from time to time.

They say that Great wise men like Einstein or Newton used to have deep and very complex conversations with themselves. When Conan Doyle created his famous character, Sherlock Holmes, he did not hesitate to also provide him with this practice to demonstrate that the most skilled minds were not only somewhat peculiar in their habits, but also had their own practices for reasoning.

Thus, and although most of us live in excessively noisy worlds and often opt for silence as a mechanism for rest, It is not bad at all to activate a good conversation with yourself from time to time.

Not only will we keep you company, but we will also manage to put in order many things that demand our attention. In addition, your emotional health will thank you.

Why do we sometimes talk to ourselves? Benefits and curiosities

It is often said that talking to yourself is for older people. Even more so, of those lonely souls who, lacking company, desperately seek comfort. It isn’t true. It is time to put aside these false ideas that are somewhat reifying with certain groups. If we ask ourselves why we sometimes talk to ourselves, the answer is simple: because it is something normal in human beings.

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Many of us have surprised ourselves at some point by making a comment of encouragement or small reproach like this: “But how can you be so clueless? “You’ve already lost the keys again, it’s clear that today is not your day, we’ll see how you finish it.”

These sudden verbalizations are very common. However, so is self-directed speech, that is, starting a dialogue in which you delve deeper into important aspects. We analyze it.

You already did it when you were little: egocentric speech

There are many things we should learn from children. In addition to that look that is always curious and willing to experiment, discover and enjoy the present moment, we should also pay attention to their egocentric speeches. This is what Lev Vygotsky called that childhood phase in which children have not yet internalized speech.

It is common to see them immersed in their worlds, talking. And they don’t just do it with their toys. It is common that for a few years they practice self-directed speech that later ends up being silenced.

Talking to you optimizes the brain

It has happened to all of us at some point. Sometimes we find ourselves in the middle of a crossroads. We have a problem for which we cannot find a solution, internal dialogue does not help and so we do it, we talk out loud to ourselves.

This behavior is not only a sign of sanity, but also of intelligence. This is explained to us by a study carried out at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. When we go from internal to external speech and talk to each other, the mechanics of the brain change. What the authors of this work tell us is that when we use language and communication with ourselves, We improve perception, memory and the ability to solve problems.After all, people have that communicative competence that has always given us a notable advantage over the rest of the beings on our planet. Making use of it, even with oneself, benefits us. As the neurologist Alexander Luria (1980) pointed out, language fulfills more than just a social function. According to him, it also helps us direct cognitive processing.

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You can be your best coach and motivating agent

Why wait for external reinforcements? Is it really necessary for others to encourage us to do certain things? We have ourselves. You can be your best energizing agent if you put your mind to it. So, in case you wonder why we sometimes talk to ourselves, the answer could also be the following: The brain wants you to find encouragement in yourself.

“I’m proud of you. Do you realize the progress you are making?” “Don’t worry about that mistake made. Now you know what is best to avoid. We are starting from a new starting line after having obtained valuable learnings. It is time to move forward and you are going to do it well.”

This type of self-directed speech is very beneficial. Allowing yourself to activate that external speaker, from time to time, will have an excellent effect on our personal growth.

Furthermore, we cannot forget another notable advantage: it allows us to focus. Self-directed speech allows you to focus attention on objectives, on what is important.

Why do we sometimes talk to ourselves? To connect with emotions

External dialogue has a great capacity for self-regulation. Not only does it help us enhance cognitive processes to solve problems. It also allows us to become more aware of things. and connect better with emotions by detecting, clarifying and managing.

Asking ourselves what we feel, why, and what we can do about that emotion can be truly cathartic.

In conclusion, assuming for a moment that psychological distance with which to dialogue with one’s own self will always be healthy. We are, therefore, faced with one more resource to turn to, a technique to use when we need it to provide life with greater harmony, balance and well-being.

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