I was reading this article, and it mentions that Europeans talk to themselves out loud. Here’s the passage:
Do Europeans really do this? I’m an American and I talk have a tendency to talk to myself out loud, which makes people think I’m weird.
Well, yes, but since cellphones came along people assume you’re on your cell.
I remember a psychologist explaining on TV c. 1998 that talking to your tools is normal: it’s a leftover from when people had tools that mooed or barked back. So long as you don’t expect the computer to answer except by finally damnyoursoullesschipalltoHell opening the file or whatever, you’re OK.
With the new cellphones, that are just nubs in ones ear, and a small chain on your chest, you can’t even tell anymore if someone is talking to himself, to you, or to someone on the phone.
But the much bigger issue is that there’s really no such things as “Europeans”. Differences between European countries are much bigger then between USA states. Nava is originally from Spain, and she seems to agree with the OP’s observation. I’m from the Netherlands, and I don’t see people taling to themselves any more or less then I saw Americans talk to themselves in the week I was there.
If it had been common in Norway it wouldn’t have been noticed as much when people started talking to themselves due to getting tiny earpieces for their cellphones. And it was noticed. At least by me.