I very occasionally find myself mumbling the odd word out loud. It’s very very rare and usually when I’m recalling a memory or a conversation I’ve had or intend to have. And also, it’s almost always when I’m on my own – which means I’m subconsciously aware that nobody else is around to hear me.

My mother is visiting from my home country so she will be spending the next few weeks with us. It’s been almost 15 years since I’ve actually had her stay with me or I’ve stayed with her for any period of time. Usually, it’s just ‘meeting up’ visits where we spend a few hours together.

Anyway, we overheard my mom talking to herself a bit yesterday… just muttering the occasional word.
And now this morning, I’m listening to her actually utter sentences.

Made me think… how common is this??

Yep.

To myself.
To animals.
To inanimate objects.

All the time.  I’m probably the only person I don’t annoy.

Very rarely out loud. Constantly holding internal conversations with myself in my head though.

all the time

I do – talk to myself and animals and inanimate objects.

I’m less and less worried about it as I age 😁

Sort of, a sort of non swearing tourettes. Whenever I recall any memory which triggers a negative emotion (eg mild embarasment at something I did or said), my subconscious blurts out a random phrase, often a complete surprise to me any anyone else in the room who asks what I meant by it, to which I reply absolutely no idea!

Isn’t that what coming on here is?
I answer every STW question out load to myself, then type my answer in here…

Yeah I do, whole conversations sometimes, usually just when i’m on my own, but also when i’m asking the kids to clean up or something!!

Not unless there is someone in earshot, then I shout random missives and argue with myself.

I seem to get a lot of space in shops and out-and-about..

Yep all the time. I often have conversations in my head then out loud I confirm what I am going to do, so for example if I am debating with myself about having a cup of tea and biscuits, I’ll say out loud my decision “right Geoff, lets go have a cuppa with 3 dark chocolate digestives”.

I annoy my OH immensely with it.

Yup. I chatter away to myself in my own head. I’m usually attempting to make an important point to swmbo following “words” being had.
Sadly, I apparently move my jaw a little when I’m doing this, which often leads to her extracting the Michael somewhat when she spots it and asks me who I’m chatting to now.
I still do it though – it makes me feel like I’m sort of in charge of something. In reality we all know who wears the trousers…
Oh, and on the bike I’ll often have a word with myself when I’m wimping out of something “Come on, you ****” is the refrain of choice.

I chat away to myself all the time – at home, at work, on the bike. My wife finds it amusing, my daughter is the same.

It’s not a sign of madness if you’re the most ineteresting person in the room.

No, that would be insane!!

But I do talk to my dog.

And she talks back to me, in her own distinct voice.

I was thinking about this just yesterday, am I mad I wondered? you lot have reassured me!

“right, what are we doing next” is a frequent flyer when completing a task and moving to the next.

Somtimes give myself words of encouragement when on the bike and attempting a technical or physically demanding climb. “Keep going, you’ve got this”. Bonkers.

nope.

And now this morning, I’m listening to her actually utter sentences.

Made me think… how common is this??

Thinking aloud is one of the symptoms of my mum’s dementia. It started off as little whispered repeated mantras but can now be a sort of exasperated stage-whisper. Its actually sort of useful for the rest of us as we can pretty much read her mind as a result.

I pretty much only verbalise my thoughts when I’m telling myself that I’m a **** idiot. Usually in a incident involving a hammer and a shin.

It’s the only way I can guarantee an intelligent conversation.

If I’m measuring and cutting I’ll often say stuff like “2167 x 580” as saying it out loud makes it stick better than just thinking it.

A bit of a bugger if I only wanted 820 x 397 though.

I shout at the kitchen dustbin when I’m emptying it and it decides it wants a fight and throws it contents everywhere…

Talk to my self as a projection from the dog in his voice.
That’s pretty much it, unless I’ve not noticed me doing it.

no but i did ha a thought tother day and made me wonder when you have a thought in your head is it a word or is it just an electrical impulse representing the word

Hell yes. I talk to myself all the time. I’ll also talk to animals and inanimate objects. I had to sleep on the settee the other night because I had an argument with myself.

Yes, I have out-loud words with myself sometimes. Did so this am in the woods when I bailed out of a small log drop. Didn’t work.

Mickmcd – are you me? That’s the kind of Bollox I catch myself wondering..!

I do talk to myself – usually unconsciously rehearsing how I think a discussion will go with the Mrs, but it’s nothing compared to a couple of fellas at work who seem to narrate their whole lives as they live it. It’s like having audio description switched on permanently. Bizarrely it’s not even annoying just very entertaining.

All the time but as I spend most of my working day in empty houses so its no big deal, I also voice replies from my cat when I’m talking to him(which is probably worse)

Loud swears, mostly.
My neighbour must think (realise) I’m mental.

Yes – quite a lot. constant internal monologue that sometimes gets externalised

I often worry that I’m coming across a bit……

“What does it have in it’s pocketses, Precious?”

^^ same as what TJ said.

I also talk to ‘things’.

And the cat.

Si

My daughter asked me a couple of weeks ago “Dad, who are you talking to after you’ve put me to bed?”

So yes, I do talk to myself and quite loudly apparently.

I’m probably the only person I don’t annoy.

You are lucky, I even annoy myself with my constant rubbish.

Regularly. I inherited it from my dad.

Yeah, and to stuff. The car talks back and has a bit of an attitude problem sometimes.

Lord yes. especially when out for a walk. OK if no-one about, if someone happens along I’ll keep schtum or at least just mumble.

I don’t but there’s a guy in my office who does it all the time. I get a few murdery thoughts about it as he’s loud and annoying. The joys of open plan offices

Do I talk to myself? I often ask myself the same question. Out loud.

I often find myself rehearsing dialogues I intend to have out loud, usually when I’m walking the dog. I use the opportunities to make sure what I am going to say makes sense, and is effective. I often had to speak in public, address meetings or conduct briefings for work, so I wanted it to make max impact. I’m also a bit of a raconteur, and these rehearsals mean the timing and delivery can be be honed. I used to do a lot of acting, so the idea of speaking out loud is far from uncomfortable.

All the time, I talk to, and this isn’t an exclusive list, just what I can remember off-hand:

Myself, all the time.
My car.
My bike, both inner monologue and out loud.
My neighbours cats.
The Dishes when I’m washing them.
Radio DJs, TV presenters and characters in TV and Film.
Electronic devices all day long, but ironically not Siri or Alexia because I find those sorts of things ‘odd’.
My food.
My fingers, elbow and wrist. (they hurt). I swear at my knees, but don’t really talk to them.
I play out other drivers responses to my insults when I’m driving like a god and they’re being idiots or ****. The’re pathetic in their apologies.

Worst of all I’ve developed a terrible tick, when I get stressed or sometimes for no reason at all, suddenly I’ll remember something embarrassing I did years ago (it’s never recent, usually 15-20 years ago or more) I used to shudder, then I used to swear, but since having kids I say things like “oh dear” or “oww” out loud, I can’t control it happening, just what I do when it happens. My wife asks me what’s up and I usually lie and say my back twinged or something as it’s embarrassing.

Yes, I’m nuts.