# Do you talk with yourself out loud?



## hengsheng120 (Oct 30, 2010)

Although I type myself as an introvert, I still literally "think out loud" ... at least when i'm alone. Sometimes i don't notice other people around and they manage to overhear me... from the floor above lol.

I'm wondering if literally "thinking out loud" (as in talking to oneself when alone) is really correlated with extraversion because it's supposedly useless and trivial [but i think it allows my mind to parallel process information, to let all the main thoughts stay on top so i won't forget what i was thinking (and digress) when i get too indulged in them, thus thinking in more depth and width in a shorter period of time].


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## Azwan (Nov 2, 2010)

Yes, I do talk to myself out loud in front of the mirror, but only when no one is around. Either that, or I'm rolling in bed. Then after a couple tens of lines, I'll retreat back into my head.


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## zskel (Nov 30, 2010)

All I ever do is think out loud but I need a person sitting in front of me when I'm doing it. Drives some people crazy since I do it to them regardless of if they want part of it or not.


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## Siggy (May 25, 2009)

yes, but only during a brainstorming session


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## dude10000 (Jan 24, 2010)

It isn't like I need secrecy to think about something out loud.


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## undead (Nov 28, 2010)

I like to do that alone sometimes. But, I never draw attention with that.


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## Promethea (Aug 24, 2009)

Yes, all the time!


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## toe tag (Dec 1, 2010)

All the time in my case. Even when people are in my presence I simply do not actually see them (but I somehow manage to see their dark outlines from the corner of my eyes like fuzzy moving objects). Sometimes when it's too much to think I tend to take it outside. I even have complete arguments with myself. When all the work is done it suddenly gets quiet. I've got so much in my head.


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## Cheveyo (Nov 19, 2010)

As long as I'm alone.
Sometimes it slips out when I'm around other people, though.


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## Proteus (Mar 5, 2010)

All the time. Talk to myself, answer myself, have conversations with myself or other people I know that I imagine to be there, etc. When I'm not having these convos out loud I'm often having them in my head. It's something I've always done and often do without realizing; it's a good way to work through ideas, as well as stave off boredom.


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## Praxidike (Aug 6, 2010)

Yes but only when I know nobody else is around...I can't have people infiltrating my mind.


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## Thu (Mar 11, 2010)

Yes I do, mostly when on my own, but since I've become very open with my brother, then I don't mind him being around, though, it occurs more often when alone.


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## wonderfert (Aug 17, 2010)

When no one is around, and I'm concentrating on something I will.


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## lylyness (Jul 31, 2010)

No, never. I always found this to be a really, really weird thing to do for some reason. When other people do it I'm like, "WHOAREYOUTALKINGTO???"

I think it's an interesting pattern among the introverts, though.


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## Praxidike (Aug 6, 2010)

Oh and I study out loud too, anyone else do that?


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## Thu (Mar 11, 2010)

Aliboo said:


> Oh and I study out loud too, anyone else do that?


Especially when learning Russian!


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## Green Girl (Oct 1, 2010)

All the time, especially when I'm trying to figure out how to do something. I often forget and do this in front of other people, which is confusing for both of us, since they think they are supposed to answer back. I also talk to machines - usually trying to convince them to work right.

The best thing about arguing with myself is that I always win.


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## noz (Dec 7, 2009)

No way, lulz. My Si creates a guilty conscience over such noise.

STFUPLZ?? library atm!!


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## Naama (Dec 5, 2010)

no, but im constantly talking inside my head


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## tinkerbelle (Nov 17, 2010)

I do it too -, jusrt of thinking out loud esp.when making a decision. Only at home thoug, not out of the house.. I also talk to the cat!


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## LostInMyOwnMind (May 5, 2010)

All the time and I talk to inanimate objects as well. Funny thing is, I’d feel really stupid using speech recognition software but I’ll talk to my PC and phone when they are not functioning as I expect.


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## tinkerbelle (Nov 17, 2010)

When elecrircal objects don't work as they are meant to. I swear atn them. I talk to little bees and wasps whn they come in the house and i their silly way keep banging the window pane trying to get out, so I chat and try and coax them on a piec:laughing::laughing:e of kitchen roll and ease them through the open part of the window. It works!


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## Murkness (Jul 25, 2010)

I talk to myself in my mind loudly enough...


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## Terrestrial Wisdom (Dec 8, 2010)

Yes. Depending on what I'm thinking about I have to say it out loud. If I don't verbalize what I'm thinking then it feels like I'm not really thinking it. Often my family will catch me talking to myself (my lips are moving but I’m at a whisper around people) and I brush it off as singing.


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## LQ9 (Jul 24, 2010)

I don't usually, but when I do, it does feel kind of novel. I do sing to myself when I'm alone, and even dance, which are things you'll hardly catch me doing when there are others around. :laughing:


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## Choptop (Nov 20, 2010)

I mumble constantly when I'm alone. I'm mumbling this as I'm typing. I don't while reading though, that annoys me to no end.
I rationalize it by owning a cat. She often meows back, which makes me feel even nuttier.


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## mickyj300x (Nov 7, 2010)

I tend to talk to myself when I'm trying to sort things through, as I find it helpful (It's like having another person reminding me what to do, so I don't have to remember it myself. Strange, but it works). I have a slight tendency to talk to myself more around people, but I do it by myself as well.


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## Quelzalcoatl (Dec 6, 2010)

I sometimes catch myself voicing one of many internal debates and rationalising processes in my mind, in which I give voice to either one or sometimes even both sides of this debate. Mostly this is done when I'm doing something that doesn't need my active attention, and in a hushed tone, mumbling, if you will. The vocal debate often does not last for longer than a minute or two at the time, because that's the time it takes for me to realise I'm vocalising the processes and it makes no sense.


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## Tad Cooper (Apr 10, 2010)

I do alot, but not so much talk as mutter. I got caught muttering at my last job and the manager said I was as crazy as she was! I also tell myself off and address objects as if they can hear me at times.


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## zskel (Nov 30, 2010)

Yesterday I realized that there is one, and only one, situation in which I regularly talk to myself outloud. When I'm doing my hair and its being stupid and wont do what I want it to I curse and mutter insults at it. I don't do it at home by myself, only when its some place public like the gym locker room. 

I'm not sure why that is, maybe some part of me is hoping that someone will have a solution to my hair issue. Or maybe its because I'm so limited in what I have to work with at the gym, instead of the usual 50 products in my bathroom that could fix whatever is happening the only hair stuff I have in my gym bag is a blow dryer, flat iron, serum, and volumeizing goup. 

The solution is usually hair wax, I really should start carrying that with me.


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## day_dreamer (Nov 8, 2010)

I'm always talking to people I imagine or to myself when I'm alone. But its more like whispering with lots of animated movements (which I do when I normally talk). When I have complicated theories or ideas going on in my mind, then I switch to introverted thinking which is silent. Then once the answers are solved, I reiterate them to myself by talking. I need this bit of time of talking to myself everyday or I'd lose my mind.


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## Quelzalcoatl (Dec 6, 2010)

tine said:


> I do alot, but not so much talk as mutter. I got caught muttering at my last job and the manager said I was as crazy as she was! I also tell myself off and address objects as if they can hear me at times.


Lol, yeah. I once caught myself scolding a book for falling off my desk, and ranting at various objects when they don't behave as I want them to.


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## Biracial (Sep 8, 2010)

look bitches, if you can't talk to yourself who can you talk to really


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## elligma (Dec 26, 2010)

I don't think it's necessarily linked to extraversion. I mean, I generally don't talk to myself out loud, but have done so when working out a difficult issue or when I need to have myself really engage in feel-good emotions.


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## InevitablyKriss (Dec 23, 2010)

I have full out conversations with myself. Especially when I know I'm alone, I'll just talk to myself and have a conversation about whatever I'm doing or thinking. Sometimes I argue with myself just for fun. :crazy:

And like someone else mentioned here, I also talk to an imaginary person. Like, I'm imagining somebody there, arguing with me, and I'll argue back with them. Basically, my brain manifesting a reason for me to debate by myself.


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## NeedMoreKnowledge (Nov 2, 2010)

Only when I want to be a little more intuitive with my thought process :wink:


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## absentminded (Dec 3, 2010)

Not really. I talk if I'm bouncing thoughts off of other people, but I find silence helps me better organize my thoughts when I'm alone.


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## Evil Genius (Dec 31, 2010)

I'm introverted and I occasionally talk to myself out loud when i'm thinking.


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## Nebuchadnezzar (Sep 19, 2010)

I talk and mutter to myself, usually to bounce around ideas or plan something coming up. I also talk to myself when playing a PC strategy game and have started to win.


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## snail (Oct 13, 2008)

I talk to myself daily. It helps me keep focused on what I'm doing. I tend to refer to myself as a "we" and say mundane things like, 

"Now let's take the thread out of the bag and put it on the table. Yay, it's so exciting that we get to make something fun! *sings a little song* 'We get to make fun things, We get to make fun things, We put the fabric where it goes and cut it just like this' *stops singing* What fabric should we use? Oooh, this one is pretty, but this one has a nicer texture. I suppose we'll use this one. Now let's put the machine where it goes, because we can't very well make something if we have to reach across the table to stitch it. Where did we leave the scissors? Ah, here. *cuts out the pieces, singing* 'We're cutting out the shapes, we round the edge like this. It's a happy bright and cheery rounded little thing." And now, what shall we do with these scraps so nobody gets upset with us for leaving them there, where they want to be. I suppose we'll use them for our next felting project, which will make them even happier. I wonder what it's going to be. How exciting to not know! Perhaps we'll do that first, just to find out. *sings again*"

Also, I talk to myself when I'm remembering things and feeling embarrassed about having said the wrong things to people, or not having done things the way I wished I had, such as, "You know he thinks we're stupid now. What a stupid thing we said." or "He saved our life at least twice, and we left him there to deal with our loose ends. I wonder how he is now, and if he has gotten over us yet. I'll bet he made up some way to dislike us, so it would stop hurting him so much that we left without saying goodbye. We shouldn't have taken his feelings so lightly, knowing how much we mattered to him."


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## Novalis (Feb 17, 2011)

All the time. The process is like this:

1. Be in a situation
2. Realise said situation isn't sufficiently stimulating
3. Start thinking of a more interesting situation
4. Forget about the existence of the real situation
5. Compensate by extending the theoretical situation to the real situation
6. Verbalise
7. Be embarassed
8. Repeat

If I'm in public, it usually isn't a problem, because I'm probably actively doing something. Sometimes I accidentally laugh on the bus, though. At home, I often say things, though. Thankfully my family is used to me and they don't judge. I also tend to smile a lot for no apparent reason. It's tough when someone asks you why you're smiling and you can't answer because it would just be too difficult to explain, and they probably wouldn't get it anyways.

I do talk to inanimate things, too. Often when I'm irritated. If I put down a bag of groceries and it falls over a couple of times in a row, I'll probably call it an idiot. If my computer were a human being, it would be in therapy from being constantly belittled.


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## March Cat (Jan 27, 2011)

I only talk to myself out loud when I'm by myself. I do, however, frequently smile or laugh when I'm in public and I remember or think about something that I thought was funny. I also sometimes (less frequently) realize things in the middle of a group of people and have this shocked look or so on my face that some people can read. The only problem is when they ask me what it is, I have absolutely no way of explaining it to them.


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## MuChApArAdOx (Jan 24, 2011)

Yes, and often. Not only do i talk to myself, i laugh at myself , sing and grouch.
I treat myself the same way i treat other people. I give myself shit,
praise, advice, ....humm...mostly love


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## nevermore (Oct 1, 2010)

An introvert who does and has always done.


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## TaylorP (Mar 22, 2011)

I am my own best friend, so of course i talk to my self.

I do it so often i had to get a cat, so roommates do not think I am crazy.
hell i talk to my self as i type this.


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## Pendragon (Dec 31, 2010)

I also do it when others are around.


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## Magenta (Apr 5, 2011)

hengsheng120 said:


> Although I type myself as an introvert, I still literally "think out loud" ... at least when i'm alone. Sometimes i don't notice other people around and they manage to overhear me... from the floor above lol.
> 
> I'm wondering if literally "thinking out loud" (as in talking to oneself when alone) is really correlated with extraversion because it's supposedly useless and trivial [but i think it allows my mind to parallel process information, to let all the main thoughts stay on top so i won't forget what i was thinking (and digress) when i get too indulged in them, thus thinking in more depth and width in a shorter period of time].


Yes, constantly. Especially when I need to get tasks done that I don't want to do, e.g. chores. I yell at myself when recording if I do a crappy vocal, which is a bit embarrassing when I realise my neighbour just came home and can hear me.


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## MartyMcFly1 (Nov 14, 2010)

Not only do I think out loud sometimes, but that's how I write my papers. I'm good at talking so I can write a pretty long a detailed paper in under an hour if I just pretend I'm talking to someone and write it down as it comes out. I think I've said this before, but I often don't think in words, so I generally need to say things out loud to get a complete understanding of them.


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## abster (Feb 9, 2011)

yep definitely think out loud. I mumble or grumble when im trying to think and work and i havent gotten wat i want done. It helps me go through the process of what im supposed to be doing


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## affezwilling (Feb 1, 2011)

Not only do I talk out loud to myself, but I actually answer myself too. I hold entire conversations with just with me. Most of it is just muttering under my breath though cause for some reason people seem to think that talking to yourself is really weird.


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## Stephen1 (Mar 14, 2011)

Yes and yes. It can speed up a thought process.


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## Abstract20 (Apr 3, 2011)

affezwilling said:


> *Not only do I talk out loud to myself, but I actually answer myself too. I hold entire conversations with just with me. Most of it is just muttering under my breath though cause for some reason people seem to think that talking to yourself is really weird.*



When I can't find anyone to discuss ideas with I argue with myself to get my mind going


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## JackInTheBox (Apr 12, 2011)

I do it in the middle of the street then suddenly see someone and stop. :laughing:


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## Kirilenko (Dec 21, 2010)

Yes Yes Yes.I wonder why some people talk and others not?


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## Metaplanar (Apr 2, 2011)

My reason for not talking to myself out loud is actually quite simple:

Firstly I can't talk as fast as I can think, so talking out loud would slow my thoughts down. 

Further, not everything I think is in words, actually a majority of thoughts contain pictures and complex concepts. Complex in this context doesn't mean complicated. It just means an idea or entity complete with mental connections to other things, pictures, memories, possibilities, usual situations in which it is important, emotions, similarities and so on all rolled into one neat little thought package that doesn't take more time/effort/memory to think of than a single word. See, once I describe it with words, it starts to sound complicated. That's why I don't do it unnecessarily. I guess at least some of my fellow intuitives will understand. Either I lose meaning by oversimplifying it or it's like talking Entish and I have to take care not to forget where I started after the first half of the sentence.

And finally, there's no need to talk out loud if the only person it's aimed at is me. I already know what I think, there's no need to tell myself. All that achieves is making a slightly crazy impression and feeling ridiculous. I can as well talk to myself silently and avoid all that.


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## Kr3m1in (Jan 16, 2011)

No...I either write it out (if it's some theory or idea or metaphor I ran way too far with) and see what happens with it...or I call a friend and say 'listen to this!!!..'...and describe what I came up with for hours and probably make their head spin(I don't think I have any NT friends, most are NFs or SFs and I make their brains hurt eventually with my theories).

I can't talk to me, I know what I am going to say at all times;P


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## chill.take.over (Apr 26, 2011)

yeah I thought that was the point of talking to yourself :S if not I have been breaking that rule since I was three.

I also have pretend conversations thinking about what I should say for the future, or thinking about all the cleaver things I could have said in the past. 

I love thinking whether aloud or in silence but sometimes I helps me think about certain subjects more if I speak with actual words.


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## Magenta (Apr 5, 2011)

I don't know if this thread is at fault, but I've been talking to myself a lot more lately. Or maybe I'm just noticing it more. Anyway, I regularly have fits of giggles out loud while watching TV and tell myself how funny it was.


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## Ben (Aug 23, 2009)

Somewhat. I mouth the words to myself and do a bunch of gestures without realizing, and sometimes I will mutter to myself on and off.

It goes something like this:

"Well, yes, theoretically..." *taps chin, looks pensive* "Oh, that sounds like...." *gets excited, grin*....*random giggling*

Sometimes I practice conversations so that I know what to do (in theory) in the event of an awkward social situation.


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## day_dreamer (Nov 8, 2010)

I usually imagine that there is an audience I am speaking to and that is when I talk.


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## lyricalnuisance (May 6, 2011)

Yes. An unfortunate habit kicked up from my old manager


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## octetstream (Mar 1, 2011)

Gotta drown out all the noise one way or another.


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## i2ush (Aug 3, 2011)

Glad to see im not the only one, lol


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## yaintj (Dec 17, 2010)

Yes, it is equal to drawing figures and patterns to help thinking. Thank the hands free, it can be done in public without embarrassment.


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## Einsteinette (Jan 19, 2011)

yes , especially while Brainstorming


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## Cookey (Aug 1, 2011)

When I'm alone, like most of you.


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## luxurieux (Aug 11, 2011)

I do, but mostly when I'm alone. If I'm out in public I may mutter a few words or phrases to myself while thinking. Or if I'm in a foul mood I start muttering a lot more. That's when people start giving me awkward stares.


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## Super Awesome (Jul 11, 2011)

I don't talk to myself, I talk to my pets. 

That's my story and I'm sticking to it!


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## Grungie (Aug 15, 2011)

I don't talk to myself out loud, but I constantly talk to myself inside of my mind.


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## RachelAn (Jun 26, 2011)

Yes, when I'm alone.


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## L (Aug 12, 2011)

Lol I don't even care if other people are around or not, it helps me to process large amounts of information that much easier.

However the arguments I have with myself, well..those shall remain private and away from prying ears:crazy:


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## Schadenfreude (Jul 20, 2010)

Yes I do. It's like I'm discussing ideas with myself. 
I critique, argue and try to disprove my own theories. 
I don't have anyone to talk to about them, no one here is interested. Aside from my dad, but, he's already gone.


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## rajoletes (Mar 18, 2013)

I sometimes feel anxious about talking to myself when I'm in a crowd, I can't even talk to myself at home because I'm surrounded by my family, that's why, at weekends and vacations, I sleep during the day and Talk to myself during the night because otherwise I feel oppressed by others. When everyone else goes to sleep I am finally free.


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## LeeLu Multi Pass (Mar 17, 2013)

!!! I thought I was the only one who did this. My kids have actually caught me mouthing words to myself as I'm mulling something over. They claim I gesture, too...


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## Elrohir (Mar 9, 2013)

Yeah I totaly do that! Especialy if I want to remember how to do something in accounting, then Im muttering everything I do as I do it.


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## Priva (Mar 6, 2013)

I do.


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## Playful Proxy (Feb 6, 2012)

I tend to talk to myself in the car going somewhere (people think I'm on blutooth anyway). I generally am narrating to some random entity the newest concept I learned or am thinking about in a teacher-like fashion. It makes it easier to learn and keep up with the information.


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## ghenwa (Apr 10, 2012)

If I'm actually doin something (reading, writing, video games etc) then I'll talk out loud whether I want to or not (someone says to me, "do you even realize what you're saying while you're drawing" and I'm like, "no") but if it's just thinking to myself then generally not.


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## TheProcrastinatingMaster (Jun 4, 2012)

I used to, a lot, but I got caught out on it a few too many times, so I've cut back. It can be pretty embarrassing to be approached by someone I've never met before for only for them to ask me whether I'm insane. I'm also usually too dumbfounded to respond, lost in thought as I was, I just stare at them blankly and back away. That doesn't help my future protests of not being insane.

:shocked:

The look^


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## gintariukeas (Feb 8, 2013)

Huh i thought i am on my way to insanity until i voted and saw that 63% of nt introverts do this. Feels good.


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## I am me (Mar 4, 2013)

well i'm not gonna vote on the poll because i'm an nf. but i do. usually around other people, where i pretend to be talking to them, but i'm really just talking to myself


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## yarrboots (Mar 6, 2013)

Oh my... the numbers are staggering. :shocked:


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## Dricaniu (Apr 22, 2013)

I talk to myself out loud all the time. Only when alone, or I think of something really awesome and feel like sharing. Course everyone looks at me like I am mad after, but worth it.


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## Whippit (Jun 15, 2012)

I don't even always talk to myself in my head, at least not in words, it's a strange place. In times of dire need, I do say out loud to myself, "Don't be a dumbass, Whippit."


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## Jacqueline827 (Apr 22, 2013)

Yes, but i tried to do it when no one's around...


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## Elistra (Apr 6, 2013)

If I'm pondering a course of action or brainstorming for ideas alone I'll often end up talking to myself, yes.


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## Archetype (Mar 17, 2011)

Usually, I don't do it but when I need to focus, I do it, I tend to lost focus on what I was thinking. Tinking it out loud make make helps me focus.


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## kwall1989 (May 4, 2014)

I like to yell at the car radio when I'm driving, especially during commercials. I do this regardless of whether I'm alone or not.


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## shameless (Apr 21, 2014)

Yes & I answer myself too.

I do it a lot at work. In front of people. 

I don't think I sound as crazy as it sounds typing it out tho.


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## blood roots (Oct 29, 2013)

Yes. Sometimes I won't completely understand what I'm thinking about until I have a full-on conversation with myself out loud.


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## malphigus (Jan 15, 2014)

Yeah talking helps me to sort it all out, I have a million stuff going on in my brain and I have to voice out the ones that are actually important to the current situation.... even with that I still jump from things to things, when I talk aloud to help me think it's usually like this:

"Okay so we got a problem, he won't do this... maybe use the girl? Um, pancakes? Blue? Saturday night, no, evening. Maybe Chris too? No, that won't work. What is it? Cheese or bacon? Uh... a drink maybe? What's the problem again?"


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## vanillaicecream (Jun 24, 2012)

I do it all the time! I've even done it just walking on the sidewalks a few times... People probably thought I was crazy since I was talking to and giggling to myself...


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## vanillaicecream (Jun 24, 2012)

InevitablyKriss said:


> And like someone else mentioned here, I also talk to an imaginary person. Like, I'm imagining somebody there, arguing with me, and I'll argue back with them.


Oh my goodness. This. I do this all the time, haha! I have these fake conversations and what not. :laughing:


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## bearlybreathing (Aug 6, 2013)

I do. It helps me fully process whatever thoughts I'm having at the time, and aids with getting my emotions off my chest; I don't want to burden anyone else with them.


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