# Your internal monologue, do you refer to yourself in the 1st person or second person? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 25, 2008, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-internal-monologue-do-you-refer-to-yourself-in-the-1st-person-or-second-person/439019 "2008-02-25T00:48:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![SpectBrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a87d85/32.png) [@SpectBrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpectBrain)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2008, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-internal-monologue-do-you-refer-to-yourself-in-the-1st-person-or-second-person/439019/1 "2008-02-25T00:48:54Z")
For example do you say to yourself “I need to do the dishes now!” or “You need to do the dishes now!”? ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2008, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-internal-monologue-do-you-refer-to-yourself-in-the-1st-person-or-second-person/439019/2 "2008-02-25T00:52:33Z")
First person. ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2008, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-internal-monologue-do-you-refer-to-yourself-in-the-1st-person-or-second-person/439019/3 "2008-02-25T00:54:32Z")
Both. And sometimes I even go regal on my own ass and refer to myself as “we”. ---
**Author:** ![Silver\_Tyger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/fbc32d/32.png) [@Silver\_Tyger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silver_Tyger)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2008, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-internal-monologue-do-you-refer-to-yourself-in-the-1st-person-or-second-person/439019/4 "2008-02-25T01:21:42Z")
If I’m trying to get myself to do something, 2nd. If I’m narrating to myself or reminding, 1st. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2008, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-internal-monologue-do-you-refer-to-yourself-in-the-1st-person-or-second-person/439019/5 "2008-02-25T01:24:28Z")
**Q.E.D.** resents the omission in the OP. No, **Q.E.D.** doesn’t like that one bit. ---
**Author:** ![SpectBrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a87d85/32.png) [@SpectBrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpectBrain)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2008, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-internal-monologue-do-you-refer-to-yourself-in-the-1st-person-or-second-person/439019/6 "2008-02-25T01:29:14Z")
[QUOTE=Q.E.D.] **Q.E.D.** resents the omission in the OP. No, **Q.E.D.** doesn’t like that one bit. [/QUOTE] Forgive my ignorance, but I do not understand. Never mind, on further reflection I do. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2008, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-internal-monologue-do-you-refer-to-yourself-in-the-1st-person-or-second-person/439019/7 "2008-02-25T01:31:00Z")
[QUOTE=SpectBrain] Forgive my ignorance, but I do not understand. [/QUOTE] Some people (no, I’m not really one of them) might refer to themselves in the third person. ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2008, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-internal-monologue-do-you-refer-to-yourself-in-the-1st-person-or-second-person/439019/8 "2008-02-25T01:31:37Z")
[QUOTE=SpectBrain] Forgive my ignorance, but I do not understand. [/QUOTE] **Q.E.D.** eschews the first and second persons and goes with the third. ---
**Author:** ![Kat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b19c9b/32.png) [@Kat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kat)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2008, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-internal-monologue-do-you-refer-to-yourself-in-the-1st-person-or-second-person/439019/9 "2008-02-25T03:32:28Z")
I use both 1st and 2nd in internal monologues, with no consistency. I only refer to myself in the 3rd person out loud in attempts to annoy other people. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![The\_Blue-Sighted\_Shadow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecae2f/32.png) [@The\_Blue-Sighted\_Shadow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Blue-Sighted_Shadow)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2008, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-internal-monologue-do-you-refer-to-yourself-in-the-1st-person-or-second-person/439019/10 "2008-02-25T03:55:03Z")
It depends. When I’m being self-critical, it’s almost always second person. Otherwise, first person. ---
**Author:** ![Anastasaeon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@Anastasaeon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anastasaeon)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2008, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-internal-monologue-do-you-refer-to-yourself-in-the-1st-person-or-second-person/439019/11 "2008-02-25T04:02:32Z")
Most often in the second person, but occasionally the first. And like **eleanorigby** , frequently the regal “we”. I seem to scold myself more often in the second person, and feel more neutral using the first person. Ex1: “Oh, you fool, now look what you’ve done! Come on, then, let’s clean it up.” Ex2: “What was I doing again? And where am I?” ---
**Author:** ![GilaB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8e7dd6/32.png) [@GilaB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GilaB)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2008, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-internal-monologue-do-you-refer-to-yourself-in-the-1st-person-or-second-person/439019/12 "2008-02-25T04:18:04Z")
The second person if I’m being self-critical, the first if I’m laying out my plans for the day. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2008, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-internal-monologue-do-you-refer-to-yourself-in-the-1st-person-or-second-person/439019/13 "2008-02-25T04:18:07Z")
[QUOTE=The Blue-Sighted Shadow] It depends. When I’m being self-critical, it’s almost always second person. Otherwise, first person. [/QUOTE] Huh. I never noticed that before, but you’re absolutely right. (For me, I mean. I bet you already knew you were right about you.) ---
**Author:** ![groo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecd19e/32.png) [@groo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/groo)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2008, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-internal-monologue-do-you-refer-to-yourself-in-the-1st-person-or-second-person/439019/14 "2008-02-25T04:23:27Z")
Groo the Wanderer strode the earth like an angry god, his piteous minions scattering in fear at the sight of his visage. Would he be merciful today and spare these wretched peoples’ lives? Perhaps after dinner, he though, but first he had to go check the SDMB. ---
**Author:** ![Don\_t\_Panic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/don_t_panic/32/398_2.png) [@Don\_t\_Panic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_t_Panic)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2008, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-internal-monologue-do-you-refer-to-yourself-in-the-1st-person-or-second-person/439019/15 "2008-02-25T04:26:12Z")
[QUOTE=The Blue-Sighted Shadow] It depends. When I’m being self-critical, it’s almost always second person. Otherwise, first person. [/QUOTE] Heh. Me too. “I’m such a genius for managing to do that huge pile of laundry!” “You idiot! You’re late for work again!” That way, I get all the credit and none of the blame. ---
**Author:** ![Strinka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/strinka/32/512_2.png) [@Strinka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Strinka)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2008, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-internal-monologue-do-you-refer-to-yourself-in-the-1st-person-or-second-person/439019/16 "2008-02-25T04:50:37Z")
Both. There’s not much consistency, but second person tends to get associated with the emotional side of a decision, and first person with the logical side. ---
**Author:** ![Bambi\_Hassenpfeffer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Bambi\_Hassenpfeffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bambi_Hassenpfeffer)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2008, 8:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-internal-monologue-do-you-refer-to-yourself-in-the-1st-person-or-second-person/439019/17 "2008-02-25T08:22:33Z")
I use first and second fairly interchangeably, but I tend also to praise in the first person and criticize in the second. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2008, 9:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-internal-monologue-do-you-refer-to-yourself-in-the-1st-person-or-second-person/439019/18 "2008-02-25T09:35:40Z")
One has considered this, and has come to the conclusion that: I don’t use either. I tend to say in my head : “Must do this. Gotta do that. Don’t forget those.” If I ever refer to myself directly, I cannot bring to mind how I phrase it. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2008, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-internal-monologue-do-you-refer-to-yourself-in-the-1st-person-or-second-person/439019/19 "2008-02-25T11:59:18Z")
Both and also first person plural. It is not uncommon for me to think in terms of “we need to get our big old butt up and moving” ---
**Author:** ![Engineer\_Dude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9fc29f/32.png) [@Engineer\_Dude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Engineer_Dude)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2008, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-internal-monologue-do-you-refer-to-yourself-in-the-1st-person-or-second-person/439019/20 "2008-02-25T13:08:51Z")
First person if I’m making a judgment about myself. Second person if I’m reminding myself of something or psyching myself up. And “we” if I’m having conflicting emotions, because it’s like two people (both myself) arguing with each other. I wonder if Bob Dole’s inner monologue is in third person. Bob Dole’s a friend of the tobacco industry. Bob Dole likes your style. Bob Dole. Bob Dole. Bob Dole! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-internal-monologue-do-you-refer-to-yourself-in-the-1st-person-or-second-person/439019.md?page=2)