5 reasons talking to yourself is good for you

Often seen as stigmatic, talking to yourself is a common habit that can make you a better you.

(Photo: Andrea Piacquadio/Pexels)
  • Talking to yourself is a healthy, widespread tendency among children and adults.
  • Research suggests the practice supplies a bevy of benefits, from improved mental performance to greater emotional control.
  • Self-talk is most beneficial when it combines thought and action or reinforces an instructional framework.
Keep reading
emotions memory mental health mind neuroscience brain psychology cognitive science personal growth
Badge
Big Think Shop
Big Think Shop

Take the guesswork out of real estate investing with this analytics tool

Big data is supercharging almost every industry. It's about time to use it to your advantage when it comes to buying property.

Photo by Ralph Kayden on Unsplash
Gear
  • Mashvisor brings real estate data from scores of public records into one place.
  • This resource helps savvy real estate buyers spot deals before other investors.
  • A lifetime Mashvisor subscription in now hundreds off at just $39.
    • Keep reading
    technology data

    The psychology of infidelity: Why do we cheat?

    Infidelity, an inherently selfish behavior, has been analyzed by researchers to help us understand why people cheat in relationships.

    What are the most common reasons for cheating in a relationship?

    Photo by Tero Vesalainen on Shutterstock
    • Results of a 2005 study show that there is a significant difference between cheaters and non-cheaters when it comes to the Big Five model of personality traits.
    • Poor self control, selfishness, anger, boredom, and attention-seeking are the most common reasons a person is unfaithful in their relationship.
    • However, a 2018 study suggests that even infidelity, which is inherently a selfish behavior, is more than it seems - requiring an in-depth look at both the personality traits in each person in the relationship as well as the dynamic between them.
    Keep reading
    curiousity relationships love sex communication personality trust vulnerability marriage

    There is scientific proof that foot fetishes are normal

    Research dating back to the 1950s explains why the foot fetish makes total sense.

    The fetish for feet is much more common than you think...

    Photo by FotoDuets on Shutterstock
    • A fetish is a sexual fixation on a specific object, activity, or body part that becomes absolutely necessary to a person's sexual satisfaction.
    • According to recent research, 1 in 7 people have fantasized about feet in a sexual way at least once in their lives.
    • Prominent researcher Wilder Penfield, who established the "body image map" in the 1950s, explains that the sensory perception for our feet is located directly adjacent to the sensory perception area for our genitalia - which can explain the sexual fascination many people experience with feet.
    Keep reading
    biology human body psychology sex brain neuroscience

    Law vs. justice: What is our duty in society?

    Laws can't stand by themselves. Professor James Stoner explains why.

    Law vs. justice: What is our duty in society? | James Stoner
    Videos
    • Can you divorce the rule of law from the virtue of justice? Immanuel Kant said the perfect constitution would work even among a nation of devils, provided they were intelligent devils.
    • Professor James Stoner thinks the opposite is true. The right punishments don't lead people to behave well, we are also guided to make morally good decisions by our conscience—by our internal sense of justice.
    • The ability of all people to pursue their own good is itself a kind of common good of a liberal society.
    Keep reading
    criminal justice justice system law government society self cooperation united states history morality

    Let’s talk sex: The science of your brain on dirty talk

    One in five people have ended sex because of bad bedroom talk. Here's the data and science on how to do it right.

    Photo Credit: Popperfoto / Getty Images
    Sex & Relationships
    • One in five people in a new study admit that they have stopped sex cold because of the dirty talk.
    • 90% of the participants felt aroused by the right erotic talk with their partner.
    • Dirty talk activates the erogenous zones of the brain: the hypothalamus and amygdala.
    Keep reading
    relationships vulnerability women men communication sex

    Psychology toolbox: How to use skepticism

    Videos
    • Psychological illusionist Derren Brown presents magic as an analogy for how we process the world around us. In the same way we believe in a trick by forming a narrative around it, we can tell ourselves stories in life.
    • It's important to maintain a sense of skepticism. But it's equally as important to recognize the edges of usefulness in being skeptical.
    • For example, an atheist can be skeptical of religion while still admitting that the narratives around religion might be valuable and psychologically useful.
    Keep reading
    magic psychology mind brain critical thinking questioning learning personal growth self storytelling