# Fast Talkers are Fast Thinkers ? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 16, 2002, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fast-talkers-are-fast-thinkers/132429 "2002-10-16T00:52:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![andy\_fl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/49beb7/32.png) [@andy\_fl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andy_fl)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2002, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fast-talkers-are-fast-thinkers/132429/1 "2002-10-16T00:52:02Z")
I have some friends who talk fast (I mean their words per minute is high) and I’ve usually observed that people who talk faster are fast thinkers / witty / intelligent. Is there any scientific evidence to prove or disprove this ? ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2002, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fast-talkers-are-fast-thinkers/132429/2 "2002-10-16T01:39:09Z")
I doubt it. I’ve known some fast talkers who were only capable of saying absolutely nothing at high velocity. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2002, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fast-talkers-are-fast-thinkers/132429/3 "2002-10-16T01:47:39Z")
I’ll go along with **friedo** on this one. I find that many fast talkers are simply afraid of being interrupted. I suspect it _may_ be related to birth order. Scientific evidence? That would be interesting to see. Peace, mangeorge ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2002, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fast-talkers-are-fast-thinkers/132429/4 "2002-10-16T02:08:41Z")
I believe that fast talkers are simply people who don’t think much. And what they do think (often completely trivial and of little depth) is unfiltered. Their thought process is directly connected to their mouths. I believe quiet people are people who think an awful lot, they only speak when a thought is worth speaking. fast talkers are probably a lot less likely to judge weither something is worth saying or not. Just my belief/opinion. ---
**Author:** ![Lodrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c4cdca/32.png) [@Lodrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lodrain)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2002, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fast-talkers-are-fast-thinkers/132429/5 "2002-10-16T02:11:59Z")
There’snocorrealationbetweentherapidityofonesspeechandthefleetnessoftheirmindthatIcansee. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2002, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fast-talkers-are-fast-thinkers/132429/6 "2002-10-16T02:27:32Z")
Itisprobablyoneofthosethingsthatisonlylooselytrueandhaslotsofexceptions,likepeoplewhoareintelligentandtalkfastandpeoplewhoaredumbanddontsaymuchbutinmyobservationitis_usually_thecasethatfasttalkersarelessintelligentthanpeoplewhodon’ttalkmuchatallthenagainmaybeIamconfusing’fasttalker’with’non-stoptalker’ohhellidon’tcareican’ttalkfastmyselfbecauseigettonguetiedhoweveribelieveiammoreintelligentthantheaveragepersonandoftenscorequitehighoniqteststhatitake(notofficialonesjustonesifindinbooksorontheinternet) ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2002, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fast-talkers-are-fast-thinkers/132429/7 "2002-10-16T02:28:36Z")
shit ---
**Author:** ![andy\_fl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/49beb7/32.png) [@andy\_fl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andy_fl)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2002, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fast-talkers-are-fast-thinkers/132429/8 "2002-10-16T02:36:16Z")
Thanks for the responses, people. Donno why this post attracted some people without spacebars on their keyboards :d ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2002, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fast-talkers-are-fast-thinkers/132429/9 "2002-10-16T02:42:19Z")
itjustshowshowunluckyiamthatinapostwhereidon’tusethespacebartheonemistakeimakeisPRESSINGTHESPACEBARinanitaliccodeImean!Ihardlyevermakemistakesinwritingboldoritaliccodethingysbythewaywhatarethosethingscalled?ps **lodrain** sorrytostealyourideabutitisquitefundoingthisthatshowshowsadand/orborediambye ---
**Author:** ![AbsolutelyStark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/278dde/32.png) [@AbsolutelyStark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AbsolutelyStark)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2002, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fast-talkers-are-fast-thinkers/132429/10 "2002-10-16T04:32:47Z")
Hey, I’m a fast talker, and I think a lot! Although, I’m not sure that I think and talk at the same time… ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2002, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fast-talkers-are-fast-thinkers/132429/11 "2002-10-16T06:05:41Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Lobsang \* > \*\*I believe that fast talkers are simply people who don’t think much. And what they do think (often completely trivial and of little depth) is unfiltered. Their thought process is directly connected to their mouths. > I believe quiet people are people who think an awful lot, they only speak when a thought is worth speaking. fast talkers are probably a lot less likely to judge weither something is worth saying or not. > > Just my belief/opinion. \*\* I do both. That is generally I’m shy and intoverted (at least when surrounded by people I don’t know), but when in good company or when I have something to say, or something I have to tell/ask somebody, it comes out pretty fast, usually to the point that I have to say it several times. (Actually more like I used to do this, over the years I’ve forced myself to slow down to eliminate repeating myself and miscommunications). ---
**Author:** ![Achernar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e274bd/32.png) [@Achernar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Achernar)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2002, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fast-talkers-are-fast-thinkers/132429/12 "2002-10-16T06:09:57Z")
If **andy\_fl** ’s thesis is true, we’ll have to accept that teenage girls are the most intelligent people on the planet. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2002, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fast-talkers-are-fast-thinkers/132429/13 "2002-10-16T06:13:46Z")
Can I just introduce alcohol into the equation? I was somewhat inebriated at a gala dinner a week or so ago, and I was boring my companions stupid with some theory or other of mine. I had enough consciousness left to realise that I was talking like a train (and my mouth was still barely able to keep up with the pace of my thoughts), and I apologised to the people I was was with for this. The response of one of the people there was, “Don’t worry, I listen faster when I’m drunk, keep talking!” Of course the reality probably was that both my thoughts and my speech were fast but complete BS, and that my conversational companions were too drunk to care or realise. I’m sure this has something to do with the OP but I just can’t think quite what. Gimme a drink, someone, I need to think… ---
**Author:** ![Savaka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/858c86/32.png) [@Savaka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Savaka)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2002, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fast-talkers-are-fast-thinkers/132429/14 "2002-10-16T06:14:02Z")
There is actually evidence that fast thinking is not synonymous with intelligence. Researchers have found that highly gifted children do not score as high on the timed subtests of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-III) as they do on the untimed tests, and in many cases score in the average range on the timed subtests. It is thought that this is due to the thoroughness and perfectionism that characterizes their thinking. ---
**Author:** ![scm1001](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c4cdca/32.png) [@scm1001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scm1001)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2002, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fast-talkers-are-fast-thinkers/132429/15 "2002-10-16T13:02:14Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Achernar \* > \*\*If **andy\_fl** ’s thesis is true, we’ll have to accept that teenage girls are the most intelligent people on the planet. \*\* and add to that list politicians and cokeheads.