Morendil comments on Open Thread: March 2010, part 3 - Less Wrong

3 Post author: RobinZ 19 March 2010 03:14AM

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Comment author: Morendil 19 March 2010 04:42:43PM *  0 points [-]

My experience of spelling words is quite visual (in contrast to my normal thinking style, which suggests that if "thinking styles" exist they are not monolithic), I literally have the visual representation of the word floating in my head. (I can tell it really is visual because I can give details, such as what kind of font - serif - or what color - black - they are the words as they'd appear in a book.)

I'd also describe my spelling skill as "automatic", i.e. I can usually instantly spot whether a word is "right" or "not right", I absolutely cannot stand misspellings (including mine, I have the hardest time when writing fast because I must instantly go back and correct any typos, rather than let them be), and they tend to leap out of the page; most people appear to have an ability to ignore typos that I lack. (For instance, I often get a kick out of spotting typos on the freakin' front page of national magazines, and when I point them out I mostly get blank stares or "Oh, you're right" - people just don't notice!)

I'd self-describe as adept at language.

(ETA: upvoted for a luminous question.)

Comment author: hegemonicon 19 March 2010 05:25:52PM 1 point [-]

After a bit of self-experimentation, I've concluded that I almost (but not quite) completely lack any visual experience accompanying anything verbal. Even when I self-prompt, telling myself to spell a word, nothing really appears by default (though I can make an image of the word appear with a bit of focus, it's very difficult to try to 'read' off of it).

I wonder how typical (or atypical) this is.

Comment author: h-H 20 March 2010 08:32:59PM 0 points [-]

quite typical.

Comment author: NancyLebovitz 19 March 2010 05:43:18PM 0 points [-]

Do you get any visual images when you read?

Comment author: hegemonicon 19 March 2010 06:09:54PM 0 points [-]

Not generally, no, for either fiction or non-fiction. This may be why i've never been able to relate to the sense of getting 'lost' inside a book - they've never been as evocative for me as they seem to for others.