Why do you think people talk to themselves?

Question

Is it a need to receive confirmation for an issue from a person that you know very well, yourself? Why do we talk to ourselves (besides mental disorders)?

Answer 1

According to Transactional Analysis psychology, we each have three aspects of mind: The Child, The Adult and The Parent.

When we are born we are only The Child. The Child part of the mind is our feelings, wants, needs and our physical self. The Child part of the mind is the part that says, "I'm hungry, I'm sleepy, I'm angry, I have to go to the bathroom, etc."

When we are born, the second aspect of the mind, The Adult, begins to record everything that we experience and learn. It is like a little computer. It has no feelings or judgments, it is strictly factual. This is the part of the mind that says, "2+2= 4, the sky is blue, the number 7 bus runs on that street."

The third aspect of mind, The Parent, begins to develop after birth when we begin to interact with other people. Like a parent to a child, The Parent aspect of the mind is designed to meet the needs and wants of The Child. The Parent is a compilation of any adult caregivers (parents, teachers, clergy, older siblings) and carries the messages of all those people who influenced us. The Parent is the part of the mind that takes care of us ("eat your vegetables, wear clean underwear, look both ways when you cross the street) and directs us (you shouldn't eat that, brush your teeth). The Parent is also the part of the mind that carries our judgments (those types of people are bad, that is wrong).

People talk to themselves because we are always and constantly shifting from one aspects of mind to another. A typical conversation between all aspects might go like this:

It's lunchtime
The Child: I'm hungry
The Adult: It is noon
The Parent: Eat something healthy
The Child: I want a burger
The Adult: We had a burger yesterday
The Parent: Burgers are bad for you, eat something healthy

In a perfect world, all three aspects of the mind work together so that you would have a good life. In reality, one aspect usually controls (usually The Parent) and makes you miserable.

Answer 2

Sometimes "thinking out loud" can help you think more clearly and collect your thoughts. Hearing it probably better helps the mind to remember what it is you are thinking.

Beyond that, just a normal human thing we likely all grew up with and just do it. Most of us think nothing of hearing other people murmuring something to themselves in public...it's when they appear to be almost having a conversation that you hope they have a phone with them...

Answer 3

No, I don't think it's because of that. I think it's because, everywhere you are, people are communicating, and it's sort of like a habit to socialize with people since you do it everyday. We're all so used to it, that we sometimes talk to ourselves. I do it all the time, especially when I'm bored.

Answer 4

If you exclude people with diagnosed mental ilinesses...

I think talking to oneself is just a way of thinking out loud. There are many kinds of learners (visual, aural, etc) and people to talk to themselves may just be people who learn or think best by hearing things aloud.

Answer 5

I talk to myself at work. It helps me remember things. Also if I am looking for a pen to write down a phone # I keep repeating it outloud until I find something to write with.

Answer 6

When I'm busy at work I sometimes talk to myself as a way to keep on track and stay organized. I'm a waitress and I have to remember a lot, whether it's drink orders, or what I have to put on a burger, what I have to do next, who gets what.......ya know.

Answer 7

They talk to themselves for multiple options. Like: comfort, but usually they sing to themselves for comfort. Or, the most common, to encourage themselves. Another, is expressing themselves. Expressing their emotions. Or, another is: boredom. Plain and simple.

Answer 8

Maybe because a person believes that they're smarter than everbody else.

Maybe no one else will talk to them.

Maybe it's because when they were young and talked to their imaginary friends they never stopped.

Answer 9

i think it just makes people feel better cuz we can usually answer the questions that we ask ourselves

Answer 10

Because talking to myself ensures that I am talking to someone with a modicum of intelligence, which I cannot say right now as I am answering your question.