What causes a person to speak in the third person? "Me, mine, my, I" phobia? (husband, complex)

[Miss Hepburn]

This is a true mystery to me...I understand many pathologies...and
have much compassion...but this one truly stumps me.
Am I wrong to think childhood trauma? Some sort of disassociation?

Any insights?
And why does it give me the heebee jeebeeis!!!!?
I want to get over that and view it clinically.
Thank you.

[Katnan]

IMO, it's not a clinical diagnosis or a phobia. I've always thought of it as a weird quirk by someone eccentric. Some people think might think it's funny to do that, others could be condescending, hard to say really.

It's not something I often encounter. The only ones I hear doing it regularly are parents to their small children "come to mommy/daddy", and I don't think it's an intentional use of the third person.

[Bideshi]

We agree it's inappropriate. We much prefer the imperial "we" to the lowly third person.

[Miss Hepburn]

Well, you know what Mark Twain said about people who say 'we'?

The only ones that should say we are kings, editors and people with
tapeworm.

[Sugah Ray]

Originally Posted by Miss Hepburn

This is a true mystery to me...I understand many pathologies...and
have much compassion...but this one truly stumps me.
Am I wrong to think childhood trauma? Some sort of disassociation?

Any insights?
And why does it give me the heebee jeebeeis!!!!?
I want to get over that and view it clinically.
Thank you.

Sugah Ray thinks you don't like someone in particular who speaks in the third person.

IMO I think it's just the way some people speak. Some people have very poor communication skills and don't realize how absurd they can sound.

Maybe we can also ask ourselves why do we dislike people who speak in the third person? My guess it's because it sounds unnatural, like rehearsed speech.

[asiandudeyo]

Based on what I read, these people usually have inferiority complex. Usually that person thinks highly of themselves, while their self-assessment is most likely distorted. For example, they feel that they are smart (and even funny addressing themselves in such a way), while in reality they are actually intellectually challenged compared to others.

I only encounter one person ever in my life; unfortunately here in CD. I do not take what he says seriously based on how he addresses himself and the contents of his posts. When I saw his name on a title of a post or response, I usually just skip the overall topic or skip to the next response from some other people.
He is rather spooky.

[Miss Hepburn]

Originally Posted by Sugah Ray

Sugah Ray thinks you don't like someone in particular
who speaks in the third person.

No, I get the heebees when anyone does.
I have no idea where someone even learned to do that.
But, I would be fascinated to find out.

Why don't more speak that way, is a good question, also.

I'm going to ask around. Not many things puzzle me.

[Hedgehog_Mom]

My husband does that when he talks to the kids. The kids and I refer to it as the "creepy third person." And we ask him to say it over again without the creepy third person One day he will be trained not to do it. By then the kids will probably be grown.

[Miss Hepburn]

Originally Posted by asiandudeyo

Based on what I read, these people usually have inferiority complex. Usually that person thinks highly of themselves, while their self-assessment is most likely distorted. For example, they feel that they are smart (and even funny addressing themselves in such a way), while in reality they are actually intellectually challenged compared to others.

I only encounter one person ever in my life; unfortunately here in CD. I do not take what he says seriously based on how he addresses himself and the contents of his posts.
He is rather spooky.

Spooky=heebees to me, yes, spooky.
There are others here and online.

If they read this maybe they could explain it to me/us.

I really would like to understand.

And thank you for attempting.

[Tracysherm]

In real life, I've only heard parents with kids do this:

"Give that to Daddy"
"Come sit on Mommy's lap"


I don't have kids, and I really don't understand why parents do this. Young children do pick up on the meaning of pronouns very early, even before they are able to use them correctly. They would understand if you said "I" or "me." I think it's just a weird habit parents pick up from other parents.


I have encountered at least one person on C-D who refers to him/herself in the third routinely. I don't know the person enough to know if they're just being silly or wry in an online forum, or if they do this in their everyday life. If they do, it's strange enough behavior to cause some amount of interpersonal problems and/or dysfunction in relationships.

I can't see this behavior being indicative of any one mental health condition. Though I did have one client years ago in a program where I worked who did this, and he had Asperger's. But I would never go as far as to say it's a symptom of Asperger's.

I'm reminded by the Seinfeld episode with "Jimmy" who always referred to himself as "Jimmy" and it caused all kinds of problems.

It comes off as either "imperious" or "just plain weird."