Wednesday 11 September 2013

On talking to myself.

On Monday I blogged about sock puppetry - which is effectively talking to oneself online in order to appear popular, or to whip up some sort of storm to rubbish other people. If you missed it, you can find the post here (or scroll down). And there were lovely comments from people agreeing with me.

But it's got me thinking - for (is this a shameful admission?) I talk to myself at home. In the privacy of my own kitchen, I have lengthy conversations. They can be about anything, from what I'm about to do next (along the lines of 'what did I come in here for?') to rants about something on the news (if only politicians could hear me, there'd be no war, no poverty, no discrimination - come to think of it, no politicians ...). I talk to my plants (why aren't you flowering, like every other plant in the universe - I give you water, what more do you want?). I talk to my cooking (oh heck, burnt again; what have I done wrong this time?).

I argue with myself. What do I think about this, about that? The great thing about discussions like this that I am always right. I'll present opposite opinions knowing I can demolish them. I can be rewarding, when you get the hang of it.

Talking to oneself, they used to say, is the first sign of madness. In which case I'm totally bonkers.

I live alone. I have friends and family - so it's not as if there's never anyone else to talk to. But I do spend hours alone and am happy with that. But if there were no voices in that silence - well, that would feel too quiet. I speak, therefore I am alive, and I matter, and I have a voice, even if I'm the only person who can hear it.

11 comments:

  1. My children think I'm crazy when I talk to myself. I tell them it helps me to concentrate on what I'm doing, which is true. But also, I think I do it because I'm the only one who understands me.

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    1. A woman after my own heart - after all, if we can't explain ourselves to ourselves, what hope to we have when faced with anyone else!

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  2. I do talk to myself...but obviously not as much as you do! Yes, I talk to the plants...when I'm cooking...but have not as far as arguing with myself yet. Do rant too when hearing politicans talking absolute balderdash ( was going to say something else beginning with the letter b)

    Anyway, carry on dear....I intend to...

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    1. 'b' words are allowed here!! I can't watch Question Time late in the evening - I get far too ranty and then can't sleep!

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  3. Always loved this quote from Zorba the Greek by Nikos Kazantzakis: Zorba: “A man needs a little madness, or else... he never dares cut the rope and be free.”
    If talking to yourself, which I do all the time, is a sign of madness I think of Anthony Quinn as Zorba talking to Alan Bates in the movie. A little madness is fine . . .

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    1. Looks like there's a majority in the slightly mad corner, Lynn!

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  4. Lynn has said it so well, Jo. But then I would agree because I do it too! I also spend a lot of time on my own, but I cheat. I have a dog. Dogs are the perfect sounding boards :-) I can rattle away to my dog and no one thinks it's bonkers at all. But like you I talk to the plants as well…and anything else that I happen to interact with - like drawers that won't open, spiders that keep spinning webs in the same place…you name it. I can have a conversation with it. It's sort of how we know we're really alive and not just beings!

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    1. Dogs are often great listeners. Plants are good too, though they die sometimes (to escape my prattling, maybe) - and yes, it's how we know we're alive, and we matter!

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  5. I talk to our cats, to the plants, to the people on TV, and to various inanimate objects, especially when I'm hunting them: "Where did you go, dammit? Why are you hiding from me?" But the only time I talk to myself is to call myself a name when I do something foolish. i.e. "You dummy!"

    Hmmm, come to think of it, considering how often I do boneheaded things, perhaps I DO speak to myself more often than I'd imagined...

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  6. I mutter to myself. I just have to remember not to do it in public - specially when I get to the arm waving bit!

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  7. I only realised how much I talk to myself when I had to teach in an open plan classroom. Apparently I discussed how to set my classroom up each morning before the kids arrived. I still talk to myself but try very hard to control it when I'm out alone, especially in supermarkets. If that's a sign of madness then I too am bonkers but I suspect it's more a case of an over active mind.... Now what was I saying....

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