Do you talk with yourself outloud?

[OrdinaryCitizen]

Another anonymous survey, but i do talk to myself and yes i sometimes feel embarrassed because its considered no no in our society.

 

[Progster]

Sometimes, when I need to concentrate or remember something. It doesn't make me feel embarrassed. It's normal (in some but not all situations), everybody does it at some point.

 

[Autistamatic]

Perfectly normal. I do it, my NT wife does it, my NT colleagues do it, particularly when trying to work through a problem or as prompts to memory. Nothing to feel self conscious about unless you are having long conversations with yourself out loud, which may turn heads

 

[Gritches]

Talking to yourself is the second layer of thought, called "private speech". It differs from "public speech" in that it's only meant to be heard by you.

The four layers are, in order:
1. Public speech
2. Private speech
3. Internal monologue
4. Conceptual thought

So talking to yourself is as natural as breathing and everyone does it. My guess for it being taboo is probably something to do with pop culture (that's usually the reason behind human stupidity) and "crazy" people talking to themselves.

 

[tree]

Nine pages of people discussing talking to themselves, out loud or otherwise.

Talking to yourself?
Do you talk to yourself?

 

[Pats]

Only in my head, but only because I don't like to talk out loud and find it difficult most the time to talk out loud. Sometimes I wish people could just read my mind.... oh wait. No I don't. lol

 

[Judge]

Sometimes. However only when I think at least that I'm alone.

 

[Peter Morrison]

I find myself talking or singing out loud in public, in a soft tone only. I usually will read labels in a grocery store out loud when I am trying to make a selection - people will stare at me. If a tune comes into my head, I might sing the song. I don't find it embarrassing, but others think it is weird. Too bad. I'm not sure why I do it. I also talk to myself out load when I am alone, and it's often times nonsense. It is as if I jumped on a carousel of vocalized thoughts - unimportant, random, and musical on occasion. I believe it may reflect some nervousness or unfinished business in my head. It's completely harmless, but unusual. I don't like feeling as if I were in a straight-jacket in public.

 

[Autistamatic]

One habit related to this is a tendency of mine to harshly berate myself for silly mistakes, even in public. I don't even realise I've done it sometimes until I hear someone tutting behind me.
"For [deleted] sake Quinn! You're supposed to get UNSWEETENED almond milk, you idiot!" Was one that spilled out in a supermarket not so long ago...

 

[Sportster]

Oh yeah. Except for the ones that knew me, it drove my previous coworkers crazy. I'd explain that I was merely thinking out-loud. It helps me sort out my thoughts through the noise in my head at any given moment.

 

[Nervous Rex]

I talk to myself when I'm alone.

It's an interesting little contradiction: I wish other people wouldn't talk so much, but when I'm alone I fill the silence with my own voice.

 

[c4e461]

I have three dogs so I tell myself I’m talking to them, not to myself - but honestly they are not listening so I am talking to myself... ALOT.

 

[tducey]

Yes, a lot. I do it mainly when I'm alone.

 

[tlc]

I do all the time, so do most people I know. Also when I'm alone I sometimes talk to myself in 3rd person. Others may do the same thing when they are alone, but I never would know because they are alone.

 

[TempeFan]

I have three dogs so I tell myself I’m talking to them, not to myself - but honestly they are not listening so I am talking to myself... ALOT.

Me too, but I have 3 cats and they do listen. They even obey, as long as I only tell them to do what they already want to do anyway. I have to talk quietly, though, or Sara Snuggles gets upset and tries to talk over me.

 

[Sherlock77]

A poet friend of mine (who I believe is either ADD or ADHD), has described to me how sometimes he will take a walk down the street and be in poetry zone so much, he will recite his poetry out loud in full performance mode.. If any of you are familiar with poetry slam that is his style of performance...

I occasionally talk to myself in public, but not even close to what I just described...

 

[GrownupGirl]

All the time, although I try not to do it in public since it's yet another social stigma. I usually find it a lot easier than talking to other people. It's not like they listen to me anyway and I don't understand what they say about 65% of the time.

 

[Adora]

Yes I do it a fair bit,I am usually just verbalising my thoughts and I also find it helps me process things and also i do it when I am trying to figure things out like when I’m drawing I will think outloud what I want to do next,also a funny thing too is I am a big daydreamer and sometimes I will verbalise my daydream which can be embarrassing.

 

[SusanLR]

A lot, especially when trying to work something out that I need to do.
I try to keep down to when I am alone.
Things like " yeah, that would look good there and this should go here. "
That type of thing.
Sometimes I have caught myself reading labels in the store outloud *softly*.
Sugars 5 gms. Fats 11 gms. etc.
Seems quite natural and it only has a stigmatism due to the people with their ideas that certain
things equate to craaa-zee!

Makes me think of a line from a song: "...I've been walkin' Central Park, Singing in the dark,
People think I'm crazy...what's the matter with you boy?"

 

[OlLiE]

when i'm stressed i start rehearsing conversations and their outcomes in my mind, and without knowing it i end up mumbling, doesn't matter where, at home, outside