Why do I think in pictures and words?

People with autism, engineers, and those with ADHD tend to say they think in pictures; teachers, in words, and when a word-thinker hears that there are those who think not in words, but pictures, they often are flabbergasted, taken aback, and have a hard time bending their mind around this alien thought form.

How do images affect the brain?

A large percentage of the human brain dedicates itself to visual processing. Our love of images lies with our cognition and ability to pay attention. Images are able to grab our attention easily, we are immediately drawn to them. Bright colors capture our attention because our brains are wired to react to them.

Do people think more in words or images?

Many people don’t realize the McLuhans were among the first to undertake left-and right-brain research. Their research led to insights that people think in either words or images. Our preference indicated a bias in our thinking: left-brain-dominated people tend to think more in words; right-brained people tend to think more in images.

What is the difference between a picture and a thinker?

On the other hand, some experts (e.g. Linda Silverman) say the word thinkers have higher worldly achievements than picture thinkers in general or by proportion.

Why do we prefer to think in words?

Our preference indicated a bias in our thinking: left-brain-dominated people tend to think more in words; right-brained people tend to think more in images. This bias indicated to us how to successfully approach an audience, and how to approach communication-skills training.

Do teachers think in words or pictures?

Teachers mostly say they think in words. When I’m doing a live workshop I like to ask people “What are your thoughts?” Then I get more specific- “I mean, are your thoughts pictures or words, when you think, is it like a movie in your mind, or more like just feeling, or is it talking in your head, and if it’s talking, whose voice is it?