When someone asks you for directions, do you visualize the street signs and intersections, or do you immediately start narrating a step-by-step route in your head? Do you remember people’s faces easily, or their names? When solving a problem, do you “see” a solution, or talk yourself through one?
These simple questions hint at something deeper—whether you’re a visual thinker or a verbal thinker. While we all use a combination of both, most people lean more heavily toward one. Some “think in pictures,” turning abstract ideas into vivid mental scenes. Others “think in words,” processing life through an internal dialogue that never quite turns off.
But here’s the real question: who has the cognitive upper hand? The one who can paint mental images or the one who narrates mental novels?
The answer isn’t so straightforward. Both styles offer unique strengths, and each interacts with memory, learning, creativity, and communication in fascinating ways. Here we look at what it means to be a visual or verbal thinker—and why understanding this can help you work smarter, learn faster, and maybe even get along better with others. And yes, for those who use tools like brain supplements or nootropics, these thinking styles might even influence how those tools affect you.
Contents
What Does It Mean to Think in Pictures or Words?
Everyone has a “default” thinking style. It’s how your brain tends to process and store information. Most people fall somewhere on a spectrum between these two cognitive modes:
- Visual Thinkers: People who form mental images when they think. They often see colors, shapes, spatial relationships, and diagrams in their minds. When remembering a story, they might picture the scene rather than recall the exact words.
- Verbal Thinkers: People who think primarily in language. Their thoughts come in the form of internal dialogue. They often talk themselves through problems or decisions, and remember exact phrases, names, and conversations more clearly than visuals.
This difference isn’t just philosophical—it’s neurological. Brain imaging studies show that visual thinkers activate more of the occipital lobe (responsible for visual processing), while verbal thinkers show more activation in Broca’s and Wernicke’s areas, which handle language comprehension and production.
The Advantages of Visual Thinking
Visual thinkers often have a knack for seeing the “big picture”—literally and figuratively. Their brains are wired to process spatial information, recognize patterns, and form visual memories more easily than verbal ones. Here’s where they shine:
1. Pattern Recognition and Problem Solving
Because they see relationships between shapes, spaces, and movements, visual thinkers are often excellent at puzzles, engineering, architecture, and design. They’re natural at visualizing solutions and predicting outcomes that others may miss.
Temple Grandin, a renowned animal scientist who also happens to be on the autism spectrum, describes herself as a visual thinker. She says she “thinks in pictures” and credits this ability with helping her design more humane systems for livestock handling—systems based on how animals see the world.
2. Memory and Learning
Visual thinkers tend to remember imagery better than verbal details. They might forget someone’s name but never forget their face—or where they were standing. This makes techniques like mind mapping, sketching, and visualization especially effective for learning and retention.
3. Creativity and Innovation
Many artists, filmmakers, and inventors are visual thinkers. They often excel at connecting unrelated ideas, using mental imagery to spark innovation. A designer might “see” a finished product before they’ve made a single sketch. This spatial creativity is tough to teach, but powerful when cultivated.
The Strengths of Verbal Thinkers
Don’t count verbal thinkers out—language-based cognition offers its own superpowers. In fact, in a world built on communication, persuasion, and explanation, verbal thinkers often thrive.
1. Analytical Reasoning
Verbal thinkers excel at linear thinking and structured logic. Their internal monologue lets them break problems into parts, argue both sides, and evaluate outcomes. This is a key advantage in law, philosophy, and fields where clarity and critical thinking are essential.
2. Memory for Detail
Verbal thinkers often have strong auditory and linguistic memory. They’re more likely to recall exact instructions, memorable quotes, or complex conversations. This comes in handy in social settings, academics, or anywhere language is the primary currency.
3. Communication Skills
Because they process ideas through words, verbal thinkers often become skilled writers, speakers, and negotiators. They’re good at explaining concepts, telling stories, and persuading others. This ability to “think out loud” often helps them organize and clarify their own thoughts in the process.
How Your Thinking Style Affects Your Life
From school to work to relationships, your default thinking mode shapes how you interact with the world.
- In school: Visual thinkers may struggle with verbal-heavy curricula unless material is shown graphically. Verbal thinkers may ace essays but find geometry confusing without clear instructions.
- In relationships: Visual thinkers may express feelings through art or action; verbal thinkers prefer discussion. This can lead to miscommunication if each partner assumes the other processes emotions the same way.
- At work: In design or tech fields, visual thinking shines. In law, sales, or management, verbal thinking may be more advantageous. But both styles benefit from collaboration—one imagines, the other articulates.
Knowing your own style helps you optimize your strategies. It’s not about changing how you think—it’s about using your style to your advantage while borrowing from the other side when needed.
Blending the Styles: The Real Sweet Spot
The most effective thinkers are often hybrids. They develop the ability to switch between visual and verbal processing depending on the task. A software engineer may visualize a system architecture, then write clear documentation. A teacher may narrate a lecture, then draw a diagram to reinforce the concept.
Train Your Weak Side (Gently)
If you’re a strong verbal thinker, try sketching ideas instead of writing them. Use flowcharts or storyboards. If you’re visual, practice journaling your thoughts, or try narrating your day mentally to strengthen language skills. These exercises build cognitive flexibility—a key trait for learning and adaptation.
Brain Health and Thinking Styles
Your thinking style may even influence how you respond to different brain-supporting interventions. Visual thinkers may benefit more from tools that enhance spatial awareness and pattern recognition—like certain types of puzzles, visual training apps, or mindfulness meditation that targets imagery.
Verbal thinkers might respond better to activities like debate, journaling, or audio learning. Some people even report that specific nootropics help them focus or think more clearly in their preferred mode—though individual results vary and more research is needed.
For example, nootropics like citicoline or phosphatidylserine support verbal memory and mental clarity, while others like L-Theanine may help calm an overactive inner monologue, giving visual imagery more space to surface.
There Is No “Better” Brain
So, who has the edge—visual or verbal thinkers? The honest answer: it depends. On the task. On the setting. On the moment. Both thinking styles bring essential tools to the table. The goal isn’t to crown a winner, but to understand the strengths each style brings and learn how to work with them—not against them.
Visual thinkers bring imagination, design, and spatial brilliance. Verbal thinkers offer structure, analysis, and the power to explain. The modern world needs both. And your brain—whether it speaks in images or sentences—has incredible capacity when you learn how to listen to it.
