Do you ever talk to yourself, even maintain a conversation, aloud? Are others accustomed to this habit, or do they give quizzical looks, or ask you to quieten down?

I make funny noises, mostly, and talk to inanimate objects. I work from home now,but it apparently used to crack my coworkers up. "Stupid computer." "Gah. Can Opener. You job is to open things. Do it." You know, that sort of stuff.

The only time I really got nailed for talking to myself was when my son was about three. He was always with me. I think most parents can identify with this. You talk to the kid all day long. "We're going to do this.... Ok now,we're going to do that..." You also ask a lot of questions and give lots of little tasks. So, there I was, walking down an aisle the store, talking to my son. We got to the pet food and our brand was on the bottom. I said something like, "Oh no, it looks like it's all gone. Can you look down there at the back of the shelf and see if there are more green bags in back?" When my son didn't respond, I turned around to find out why... he wasn't with me that day. There were three or four people in the aisle that backed away rather quickly though. lol

I love this story, Just Asking. Thanks for spending the time to relate it.

Sure. It helps me think. But if people are around I do try and not let them hear.
I always find it funny when people say "It's ok to talk to yourself as long as you don't answer yourself." Because that is actually not true. If you are not answering yourself then you are not having complete thoughts.

Oh, how did I miss your answer?

Lovely answer, quite in line with my way of thinking. 

(We've known for quite some time that she's a loon, but she's a lovable, harmless loon, so we humor her. Shhhhhhh.)

~

You must be my wife's sister: she's the Empress Queen of Talktoyourselfdom. It's so bad that when people ask me my wife's profession, I tell them that she's an announcer. They ask, "What do you mean, a radio announcer?" "No," I tell them, "she announces everything she's about to do, every thought in her head, etc. I'm constantly asking her who she's talking to."

It's one of her lovable quirks, and she does it so much that many times when she actually addresses me, I don't know that she's not talking to herself. The other half of the time, when she's thinking out loud, it's made for some patent comedy routines between the two of us . . .

Mrs: I'm going to the bathroom.
RD: Thanks for letting me know.
Mrs: Letting you know what?
RD: That you're going to the bathroom.
Mrs: Did I say that?
RD: Yes, you announced it again.
Mrs: I don't even remember saying it out loud, I thought I just thought it.
RD: You didn't, it was loud and clear.
Mrs: Well, I wanted you to know.
RD: Why do I need to know that? I'm eating here, can't you see?
Mrs: Just in case you want to know where I am, or if you come looking for me.
RD: Believe me, you could have left to go do it without the announcement and I would have been perfectly happy with my bowl of cereal.
Mrs: I want you to know EVERYTHING I do.
RD: I can tell. Why are you still here? I thought you had to go so badly.
Mrs: It went away, you talked me out of it.
RD: See what happens when you announce stuff? Next time, just go without saying anything beforehand.
Mrs: You might miss me.
RD: I'd miss eating my cereal in peace.
Mrs: You WANT me to go, don't you?
RD: What was your first clue?
Mrs: Which do you care more about, me or the cereal?
RD: Only one of the two choices is making me happy right now, but the other choice is making it difficult for me to enjoy the first one.
Mrs: I'm going to the bathroom now.
RD: And we're back! I thought it went away.
Mrs: Yea, but talking to you makes me want to . . .
RD: Hey, I'm still trying to eat here!

~

My other self is hard of hearing, so it's usually just responding with "huh, what, or pardon?"

Hello N:

No.  Talking to myself is NUTS..  So, I talk to my cat.

excon

Humans are reborn as cats, do you know?

Close encounter of the first kind.

Enjoyed it thoroughly. :)

So, excon, who, do you think, you're talking to? 

:)