# Talking to yourself- in public??????



## fuzzybuddy (Mar 26, 2022)

I live alone. At home, I talk to myself. I don't ramble on, but I swear and say things when I'm frustrated. Come on, who is it going to hurt? The problem is I don't realize I'm doing it in public. Yeah, I've uttered things that maybe I should have kept to myself. I guess it's something you do, if you live alone.???????


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## Pepper (Mar 26, 2022)

Of course!


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## hollydolly (Mar 26, 2022)

Oh yes...very often. Even in the supermarket I'll find myself saying something under by breath, deciding what eggs to have or sumthin'.. have to check myself and look around to see if anyone's listenin'...


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## Ceege (Mar 26, 2022)

It's one of the nice things about cell phones.  We can pretend we are talking on the phone with someone and any listeners can be none the wiser.


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## Geezer Garage (Mar 26, 2022)

Sometimes it's the only way to have an intelligent conversation.


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## timoc (Mar 26, 2022)

*Welcome to the club Fuzzy.* 

The other day while walking in the park I was having a really intense conversation with myself, when I spotted a bloke staring at me as though I was crackers. Well I am a bit crackers as you all know, but I heard myself saying to the bloke,"It's bad manners to earwig peoples converstions, you nosey beggar."


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## win231 (Mar 26, 2022)

I'll swear in private & talk to myself, but never in public.

Once, I was out for a walk & a guy was walking toward me & he was talking to himself - asking questions & answering them like a regular conversation between two people.
I said, "Hmmmm, look at that guy talking to himself; maybe he has problems."
Then I thought, _"Wait a minute; who am I talking to?"_


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## Aunt Bea (Mar 26, 2022)

It has been my experience that people who talk to themselves are rarely bothered by strangers, panhandlers, etc...


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## Lavinia (Mar 26, 2022)

So far I've  managed not to do it in public, but I have noticed other people doing it....and not just old folk. You can usually tell the difference between someone talking to themselves, and someone talking on their phone.


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## jujube (Mar 26, 2022)

Hell, I *argue* with myself.....  sometimes, neither of us win.


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## katlupe (Mar 26, 2022)

I talk to myself all the time. I don't really care if someone hears me or thinks I am crazy. But I'd rather they didn't interrupt me.


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## JonSR77 (Mar 26, 2022)

Geezer Garage said:


> Sometimes it's the only way to have an intelligent conversation.


I approve this message.


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## JonSR77 (Mar 26, 2022)

I talk with all the voices in my head.  But I only obey the voices in my cats' heads.  I am not stupid.  They have claws.


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## GMPG54 (Mar 26, 2022)

Talk to myself frequently. Also,talk to the cats.


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## feywon (Mar 26, 2022)

Stick an earbud in your ear, people will think you're on your phone via Bluetooth.


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## RadishRose (Mar 26, 2022)

I talk to my dog


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## Ruthanne (Mar 26, 2022)

Yes I speak very loudly to myself in  public and all the time. I don't care what anyone thinks lol.


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## Oldntired (Mar 26, 2022)

I talk to myself all the time. Sometimes I argue with myself when I’m driving.


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## Feelslikefar (Mar 26, 2022)

With my new hearing aids, with bluetooth, I answer a phone call by touching a button on the right aid.
This makes me feel like a Secret Service Agent following a foreign Spy or guarding the President.
Mostly I just jabber away even if I'm not on the phone; just makes me feel sane.


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## Alligatorob (Mar 26, 2022)

fuzzybuddy said:


> I guess it's something you do, if you live alone.???????


Or with someone.  I do it all the time, I know my wife always points it out.


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## Don M. (Mar 26, 2022)

I talk to myself a little bit....usually right after I've screwed something up.  My wife "verbalizes" quite a bit, and I pretty much ignore it.


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## HoneyNut (Mar 26, 2022)

Glad to hear I'm not the only one.  At home I consider myself to be talking to the cat (even if he is asleep in the other room).  I try to not talk to myself in the store but I slip up sometimes.


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## dseag2 (Mar 26, 2022)

Yes, I talk to myself when I'm at home.  Also sometimes in public.  You will all be relieved to know it is a sign of higher intelligence.  I guess that is why we are all on SF.   

https://sites.psu.edu/ranspassionbl...-yourself-is-a-sign-of-a-higher-intelligence/


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## Shalimar (Mar 26, 2022)

*I talk to myself in public and private, also, currently I am teaching my cat French. His accent is appalling.  *


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## Ruth n Jersey (Mar 26, 2022)

I always talk to myself in the supermarket.  Usually complain about the prices out loud, or if I can't find an ingredient, if the cart doesn't work right or I forget where I put the car. 
I've talked to all my pets and these days I yell at the birds that steal other birds food or don't share the birdbath. 
I even talk to my plants. 
As long as they don't answer back I know I'm ok.


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## dseag2 (Mar 26, 2022)

Ruth n Jersey said:


> I always talk to myself in the supermarket.  Usually complain about the prices out loud, or if I can't find an ingredient, if the cart doesn't work right or I forget where I put the car.
> I've talked to all my pets and these days I yell at the birds that steal other birds food or don't share the birdbath.
> I even talk to my plants.
> As long as they don't answer back I know I'm ok.


Love you, Ruth!


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## timoc (Mar 27, 2022)

Shalimar said:


> *I talk to myself in public and private, also, currently I am teaching my cat French. His accent is appalling.  *


*Interesting*, a chat that chats.


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## timoc (Mar 27, 2022)

Shalimar said:


> *I talk to myself in public and private, also, currently I am teaching my cat French. His accent is appalling.  *


*Interesting*, a moggy with dialoggy.


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## Lewkat (Mar 27, 2022)

I am always muttering to myself about something or other.


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## feywon (Mar 27, 2022)

Actually some studies suggest that people who talk themselves *may* be be smarter than average.  Something about actually hearing oneself helps you remember tasks, i know that and lists work for some of us  because when write something down we usually.hear our own voice saying it. (Because I'm a highly.visual person writing a list fixes it in my mind, usually if i forget the list at home i can close my eyes and 'see' it accurately.)


Funny story:  When i was a single Mom in my late 30s with two 9 year old boys and a 1 year old girl i had to break myself of the habit of saying.my name when reminding myself  to do something or add something to a shopping list. Why? Because my daughter is fifth generation with same first name. One day i walked into bathroom to find my toddler daughter trying to wring out some hand laundry i'd earlier reminded myself i needed to finish.


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## David777 (Mar 27, 2022)

Holding an out loud two way conversation to one's internal self is on a path to lunacy one is reinforcing that others will eventually be laughing at. But there are other ways to talk without doing so to an obvious others.

When performing a complex operation from written text (example product operation guide), especially those one will need to remember and repeat, it helps recall versus only visually reading words if one also verbally engages the vocal oral mouth muscles because that cross references memory across visual, control musculature, and aural neural areas.  For example, while walking about in a supermarket, one reflects on the need to buy some sugar that is still many isles away.  If one at that moment out loud simply softly blurts out SUGAR, it is more likely one will recall that minutes later versus just having kept that notion a subtle internal memory.

I sometimes blurt things out loud as though I am speaking with some emphasis and emotion to a group of possible others and not to myself inside.  For example looking to the West, "Now that is an inspiring sunset!"  Note within otherwise equal members of actual groups even a group of strangers, I do tend to be relatively naturally vocal confidently sounding like a leader.   Or watching a tv football game at home alone when a touchdown occurs...TOUCHDOWN!

I also sometimes use a tiny micro-recorder to dictate thoughts to or perform descriptive narration when outdoors.  This appears much like someone talking to someone else on a smartphone.  Am not really listening but rather just speaking at the recorder in the same manner I might to another person.  And it does take skill and practice to do so effectively.

I also readily talk to animals both pets or wild animals and at least I like to think, animals at times seem to react recognizing my body language and emotional vocal tones.  Maybe because I grew up in a large family with pets.  In my local neighborhood I've lived at over decades, crows and squirrels, seem to recognize me as a specific non-threatening human so allow my passage while keeping a wary eye just a couple steps distant.


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## JonSR77 (Mar 27, 2022)

Shalimar said:


> *I talk to myself in public and private, also, currently I am teaching my cat French. His accent is appalling.  *




I approve your message.

You should teach your cats this song:


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## SmoothSeas (Mar 27, 2022)

"'hello, lamppost, what'cha knowin' - I've come to watch your flowers growin'..."

and then, there's Bill Evans "Conversations With Myself"


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## drifter (Mar 27, 2022)

I have caught myself talking and no one around but me so I must be talking to myself, but never in public.


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## IrisSenior (Mar 27, 2022)

I might mutter to myself in public occasionally but I try not to make a habit of it. I do sing to my songs while driving my car and I am alone and no one to bug me or tell me to shut up and especially if it is a nice, warm, sunny day and I am feeling especially good and it's a good song.


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## feywon (Mar 27, 2022)

Shalimar said:


> *I talk to myself in public and private, also, currently I am teaching my cat French. His accent is appalling.  *


If you haven't seen one yet, search for You Tube video 'BilliSpeaks'.
Someone got their cat one of those floor mats with buttons that speak a word when pressed that was designed for and first used with dogs.


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## debodun (Mar 27, 2022)

I talk out loud when I'm grocery shopping. It helps me clarify my thoughts. Let people think I'm nuts - I probably am anyway.


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## Lakeland living (Mar 27, 2022)

Yes, I talk to the dog, the cat and of course to me.  Some birds that hang around once in a while eves dropping chirp in
once in a while. Have not lost an argument with me in years....


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## feywon (Mar 28, 2022)

A couple of comments have mentioned muttering, which is  forming words with lips but not speaking loud enough to barely hear it thru your ears yourself. Also called sub-vocalizing.

Depending on what kind of community you live in if you are actually muttering it could cause you to appear more 'crazy' than if you spoke aloud. Some people with actual mental health issues subvocalize (mutter) almost constantly.  Some people know this and will avoid a mutterer more than someone that speaks clearly aloud to themselves.

My 13 yr old autistic grandson on other hand often talks aloud when processing and pondering newly acquired info. (We are grateful that therapy helped him re-acquire clear speech, but it can be too much sometimes.) Sometimes asking questions but not of anyone but himself. His Mom and Dad have developed habit of ignoring him unless it is unmistakable he needs their assistance (he's hungry, hurt or is asking permission to do something).

On their last visit i talked to him directly about it being important to let people know when he's trying to engage them-- i told him i'm interested in his thoughts, ideas and questions but he needs let me know when he's actually trying to get my input, and when just processing his thoughts aloud.

Then i talked to my son about he and Liam's Mom needing to work on that with him.  That because he talks aloud to himself so often unless he prefaces a statement or question with person's name or identifier (Mom, Dad, Grandma, Aunty) we don't realize he's talking to us. It will be less frustrating for everyone. We won't interrupt  his train of thought if just thinking aloud, but he will get responses when he wants them.


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## fuzzybuddy (Mar 28, 2022)

Shalimar said:


> *I talk to myself in public and private, also, currently I am teaching my cat French. His accent is appalling.  *


Shalimar, I'm sorry but trying to teach your cat French is ridiculous> As a cat person, I know cats are already multilinguists. Jeesh.


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## PamfromTx (Mar 28, 2022)

Strange that this was brought up.  On Sunday I heard hubby talking.  I came out of the bedroom and asked who he was talking to.  He told me that he was arguing with the referees.

Omg...


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## Lara (Apr 1, 2022)

When living alone without pets, it's very healthy to talk to yourself. Otherwise you'd never hear your voice.
And it's comforting to know that at least one person enjoys listening to you 
Give yourself a hug while you're at it


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## fuzzybuddy (Apr 7, 2022)

Years ago, I had a roommate. He used to talk to himself, if he thought he was alone. What was cool was he had fights with himself. Say he wanted to do something, but wasn't sure it was a good thing to do. He'd have this debate between himself. He'd go on and on. It cracked me up.


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