Do you talk to yourself OUT LOUD?

[eluuzion]

I am not referring to the various forms of "intrapersonal communication", internal dialogue, self-talk or other silent eccentricities.

I mean physically talking OUT LOUD in an audible voice... to "you". Most people engage in some form of the behavior, like personifying a computer or car so they can “yell” at it or “argue” with it, lol. I am talking more along the lines of regular, ongoing comments, observations, instructions, criticism etc., beyond the scope of the occasional single phrase emotional quips following finger smashes.

There are many credible explanations for it. I studied most of them in various psychology classes along the way. Fortunately, most of them fall within the boundaries of socially appropriate, well-adapted behavior.

One of those explanations is that it is a common soothing technique employed by “lonely” people to interrupt the silence, so they do not feel so “alone”. This got me curious about our group. There are many accounts of feeling “alone” or “lonely” attributed to the “isolation” factor attached to crossdressing. So I wondered if “talking to yourself out loud” might be a popular coping mechanism in our group.

At the insistence of my parents, I visited a psychiatrist during part of my early teenage years. (for various reasons) The psychiatrist assured my parents that it was normal behavior for people born with high abstract reasoning abilities.
There is so much automatic (excess) mental processing activity taking place that “talking out loud” is used as an analytic and filtering tool to “zero in” on the “correct” option...(by a person that automatically sees “all of the options” instead of just seeing one or two like most people).

I have lived alone for much of my life, but I’ve never felt lonely. I do frequently talk aloud, whether I am alone or in company. (Which my friends/family will confirm, lol). I never imagine any form of conversational “exchange” taking place between any second parties, myself, any “imaginary friends” or anything resembling those scenarios, lol. For me it is simply an eccentric exercise in clarification, focus, sarcasm and/or self-amusement with my surroundings.
Oh, and I do try and avoid doing it during job interviews...

My Two Questions
(1) Do you talk to yourself OUT LOUD?
(2) If you do, to what degree do you do it? (Seldom, a lot, constantly, etc.)

[Dana921]

1) Quite often!

2) Simply put, some of the best conversations I have had, have been with myself!

Though slightly amusing to others at times, it really is a way of organizing my thoughts and preparing to do the task at hand. I do not find myself vocalizing other thoughts or ideas at other times!

Dana

[erickka]

I do. Sometimes it is the only way I'm going to get an intelligent answer to my questions! LOL

[Karren H]

While driving I tend to yell "you F#*ing A$$hole" a lot! At work I'm always taking to someone or something whether they are there or not. At home I'm a good listener!

[Sophie86]

Rarely. It's usually done as an expression of irritation either with myself or some external thing.

My daughter, however, does this quite a bit, and it has worried me that she doesn't seem to be outgrowing it. What you say about yourself is a comfort. She writes stories, and I've noticed that one thing she's doing when she talks out loud is she runs dialog between the characters in her stories. I guess it's a way of hearing what the conversation would sound like?

[Cynthia Anne]

I like that song ''do you hear me now''! I always answer yes! Because I talk to my self outloud quite often! When I argue with myself ''I'' always win! If I'm not talking to myself outloud then I'm talking to my dog which useally is the same thing! Hugs!

[lauraabdl]

1) Quite often!

2) Simply put, some of the best conversations I have had, have been with myself!

Though slightly amusing to others at times, it really is a way of organizing my thoughts and preparing to do the task at hand. I do not find myself vocalizing other thoughts or ideas at other times!

Dana

I for one must agree, you took the words right outa my mouth.
Who else better to have a intelligent conservasation with than yourself, I really do it quite often and it does help with the lonelyness.

[DAVIDA]

Wait a minute, I'll ask myself.
Yes, I do!
It isn't like I talk to myself on a regular basis, it is more of a spontaneous thing.
I can be in the kitchen and I will say something. Jean asks what I said and I will just tell her that I was talking to myself.
I don't just carry on a conversation though.

[ChanDelle]

Rarely. But when I do it's a frustration with myself sort of thing. I do wonder with folks who do have extensive co versatile with themselves if they feel like no one else really listens to them? Don't know....

ChanDelle

[Tina B.]

Never, I talk to the TV, Radio, my computer, and other inanimate objects, but never to myself, that's just strange. Oh, and Karren's thing she says in the car, I do too, but I'm still not talking to myself, I'm loud, maybe that other car heard me!
Tina B.

[drushin703]

I always talk to myself out loud and often, in a conversational tone with people who, over the years, have refused to , ever again, talk to me.



dana is my real name

[BritneyLynn]

I maintain there's nothing wrong with talking to yourself, as long as you don't get into an argument!

[Gizmo, Debbie]

1) yes.
2) frequently.

[LeaP]

I talk to myself out loud occasionally. Sometimes I sort of catch myself by surprise doing it.

For me the dividing line between mild eccentricity and lunacy in this regard is that the deranged people have both sides of the conversation with themselves as if they were two different people.

Lea

[Rianna Humble]

My Two Questions
(1) Do you talk to yourself OUT LOUD?
(2) If you do, to what degree do you do it? (Seldom, a lot, constantly, etc.)

Yes, episodically. Often if I am trying to get my thoughts in order at the start of a day or of a task.

This reminds me of one of my early email signatures:

Talking to yourself - first signs of insanity
Answering yourself - first signs of schitzophrenia
I go one better...
If I disagree with my answer, I put it to a majority vote!

[Kathi Lake]

After wayyyy too many stares, I've learned to talk out loud to myself (a never-ending stream-of-consciousness blather), just not out loud. I now subvocalize. My wife has noticed a few times that my jaw and adam's apple move quite a lot at times (she's very observant).



Kathi

[Robynts]

I argue with myself.......the scary part is when I lose the argument.

[Kaz]

Seems to come in phases... my wife thinks it is wierd! To me, it perfectly 'normal'...!

[Stephenie S]

Oh! I absolutely talk to myself outloud. That's how I teach myself things. I stand in front of a large mirror (or a small one), and talk directly to me. Sometimes I shake my finger at myself.

I am on the road often on my job. I was in a motel just last night. I was ticked off because the directions given by the desk clerk at the motel had been HORRIBLE. I had gotten miserably lost. So I was a bit short with the clerk when I checked in. So, after I got into my room I gave myself a little talk about relaxing and calming down because I knew that I had to get to sleep quickly. I had to be at the jobsite at 6AM. So there I stood, one hand on my hip, and gave myself a little lecture on how I had better just relax. It worked. It almost always does. When I give myself a lecture I almost always listen.

I do the same thing about other behaviors. Behaviors that I think I could better leave behind.

"Stand up straight, Stephenie! Tummy in, shoulders back."

"Pick up your chin."

"Smile."

I learn from these sessions. Do I do it all the time? Of course not. But I am quite serious with myself when I do.

Interesting.

Stephie

[Jodi]

Heck yes I talk to myself. I live by myself. Who else do I have to talk to? I realize that it is a bad habit to get into, but I rather enjoy the fact that I always win the argument.

Jodi

[Loveday]

I do, was to told to worry only if I started answering myself.

[aprilmaeflowers]

I guess I only do when in FEM mode, I talk to myself...Hell nobody else ain't listening...

[sara.s]

i shout at myself when i am angry and at myself when i lose a game..

btw how is this CD related?

[Eryn]

I do it now and then. it helps me organize my thoughts.

It used to be that when you saw someone walking down the street talking loudly to themselves you'd give them a wide berth. These days it's just someone talking on their bluetooth headset.

[Sophie86]

I do it now and then. it helps me organize my thoughts.

It used to be that when you saw someone walking down the street talking loudly to themselves you'd give them a wide berth. These days it's just someone talking on their bluetooth headset.

You know, that's a good idea. I'm gonna get my daughter a headset, so that we don't have to worry about people thinking she's odd.