8 Quirks You Might Have That Are Actually Super Rare

1. Tickling Yourself

It's one of those bizarre facts of life that it's impossible to tickle yourself.

Whether you shrivel up the moment someone touches your neck, or remain stoic in the face of a tickler's advances, the major factor that makes tickling so ticklish is the element of surprise. The brain is programmed to rank the movements of others as more important that your own, and people attempting to tickle themselves in brain scanners (because science leads us to weird things like that), show virtually no associated brain activity.

Apart from one group of people.

Unfortunately, if you've been reading this thinking, "but I can definitely tickle myself", you might want to get yourself analysed, as scientists think that it could be an indicator of schizophrenia.

Something to do with the schizophrenic brain makes the person less able to differentiate between external and self-produced movements, making it possible for them to tickle themselves.

Incidentally, if you hate being tickled, you can use neuroscience to your advantage. As they begin to tickle you, place your hands over those of your adversary, it tricks your brain into think you're doing it, and the sensation stops.

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