I just want to talk

We've all heard the expression "I just want to talk". Talking helps, even when your listener has no solutions to offer, because it puts half-formed thoughts into words. Like writing, the spoken words are open to analysis, unlike the mix of perceptions, emotions and half-formed thoughts that lead to those words.

A helpful listener will ask the right questions, prompting you to make your thoughts more explicit.

Talking in this fashion is similar to writing a blog or a journal to help clarify one's thoughts.

If keeping such a journal can make you more intelligent, perhaps talking to someone can do the same?