Is it normal to have fake conversations with yourself while driving?

r/

I do this thing where as I’m driving i’ll just absentmindedly start essentially having conversations, with myself, out loud. It’s not like i’m practicing a conversation I expect to happen, it’s always about random shit that would never come up unprompted. I always catch myself doing it, and then have a fake conversation with myself about explaining to someone that i have fake conversations. Like I’ll be thinking about something I read or a game and i’ll start talking about it out loud as if I was explaining it to someone.

I don’t think it’s anxiety/social awkwardness, I’m pretty social and outgoing so I’m not sure why I do this. I just do it while driving without really realizing

Comments

  1. _Gen_X Avatar

    Yes. And go through conversations I’ve already had saying what I would if I could go back

  2. NoRestForTheThiccezd Avatar

    Every normal person has them, I’d be more worried If you started seeing yourself and having a conversation with your doppelgänger.

  3. Pipe_Memes Avatar

    Yeah, or in the shower. You’re basically stuck doing a simple task that requires very little brain power. The mind will wander, and fabricating a conversation is common.

  4. Mysticwanderer8 Avatar

    Have this all the time. Usually play out scenarios as well just absolutely won’t happen or haven’t happened yet.

    Also play out situations which I wish I had changed.

    Depending on where I am off too, I might mentally prepare myself haha!

  5. kae0603 Avatar

    All the time. Happens in the bathroom too. I worry at work that they aren’t always in my head. lol

  6. knarlomatic Avatar

    Always. In my head and out loud. Almost always in any private time. I’m usually practicing snappy comebacks and witty jokes.

  7. Johann_Y Avatar

    Ever since I bought a bike I feel like I got 70%crazier, I yell, make noises, like a monkey, idk what happens to me but it’s fun

  8. ExtremelyFilthyWhore Avatar

    Yes, but then you’ll just be another fraudster.

  9. artnium27 Avatar

    Yes, as long as it doesn’t affect your ability to focus on the road and cars around you.

  10. XenomorphTerminator Avatar

    Idk, is it?
    – No, it’s normal.

    Is it though?

    – Nah, it’s unnormal.

  11. Signal_Tomorrow_2138 Avatar

    You mean like ‘ Shit, I missed my turn. How do I get back?’. or ‘What the hell is Google Maps doing?’ ?

  12. AgeOfNoFilter Avatar

    Some of my best conversations are with myself out loud😏

  13. PrudentPush8309 Avatar

    Yes, definitely. Sometimes I even argue with myself, and occasionally win, if I’m not pretending to be arguing with my wife.

  14. Musicnation05 Avatar

    Only driving? I do it all the time

  15. randomn49er Avatar

    Sure hope so. Catch myself doing it often. 

  16. heyitsmejessica Avatar

    I do it all the time, make sure my reflexes are working

  17. Agitated-Minimum-967 Avatar

    As opposed to meaningful conversations with yourself?

  18. Charming-Start Avatar

    I don’t have them with myself, but I do have arguments in my head with other people. These can either be arguments that have not happened, and, likely, will not happen, or arguments that happened, but I didn’t say what I wanted to say, so I say it in my pretend scenario.

    I think it’s pretty normal as it’s just a form of processing situations. I’d go a step further and say it’s probably healthy.

  19. Own-Reflection-8182 Avatar

    Most people do it within their head only, not out loud. I noticed someone do that while showering and thought it was odd and funny but I recognized that it’s what many people do but just out loud.

  20. steelheadradiopizza Avatar

    Yes this is normal.

  21. ozymanndiaz Avatar

    I hope so. 😬

  22. acornhoek Avatar

    Wait, there are people who don’t?! 😦

  23. TheWhooooBuddies Avatar

    I find that it helps tremendously with organization—

    “Alright bitch, we’ve gotta hit four stops and then we’re home. Walmart’s gotta be last, so where are we starting?”

    It’s sort of an Irish trait.

  24. BobT21 Avatar

    At my desk while working an engineering problem. Also dry runs of a speech coming up.

  25. Proof_Text7607 Avatar

    Homies, does this mean we should stock up and/or find a plug? Is this law now or will it take time to come into effect? Does anyone else have to sign off on it or is it like today this shit is fr

  26. Practical_Airline_36 Avatar

    I do this while talking the public transport and i have headphones on so it looks like I’m talking to someone.

  27. ExhaustionMethodx Avatar

    Oh same all the time!

  28. DamionPrime Avatar

    You know what isn’t normal?

    That we live in a world so disconnected from itself, someone has to ask if speaking their thoughts out loud is weird, when it’s actually a feature and not a bug.. it’s how you gain clarity on things.

    What the fuck happened?

    Short answer:
    Yes, it’s normal. You’re not broken, you’re using a built‑in cognitive feature.


    What’s really going on (plain terms)

    1. Motor Autopilot frees up bandwidth

    Once you’ve driven for years, most of the job is run by your cerebellum and basal ganglia.

    The “front‑of‑house” cortex is suddenly idle, so it starts playing with ideas the way a leg bounces when you sit still.

    1. Externalized inner speech

    Everyone narrates inside; you’ve just moved it from silent subvocalization to audible words.

    Talking out loud recruits auditory and motor circuits, which amplifies clarity and memory retention (self‑explanation effect).

    1. Social‑simulation hardware

    The brain’s default mode network loves to rehearse social scenarios—even imaginary ones—because predicting people is survival‑critical.

    It doesn’t care that no passenger exists; it just runs the “explain‑to‑tribe” script.

    1. Energy regulation, not just boredom

    Speech and gesture burn a trickle of glucose and keep you alert—handy on a monotonous highway.

    That’s why the behavior often fades when traffic gets intense; executive control has real work again.

    1. It’s not an anxiety flag by itself

    Pathology shows up as voices you can’t control or content that distresses you.

    Choosing to speak, switching topics at will, and remembering the dialogue means you’re firmly in the healthy range.


    Useful labels you can drop in the thread

    Dialogic thinking – treating thought as a back‑and‑forth conversation.

    Self‑explanation effect – learning/memory boost from teaching concepts to an imagined listener.

    Default Mode Network (DMN) – brain system that spins up stories whenever external demands are low.

    Autonomous self‑talk vs. intrusive voices – keeps the “am I crazy?” question clear.


    Quick lit references (so you look credible)

    Brinthaupt, T. M. “Individual differences in self‑talk frequency: social isolation and cognitive disruption.” (2019)

    Fleming, S. M. & Dolan, R. J. “The neural basis of metacognitive ability.” (2012)

    Morin, A. “Inner speech and consciousness.” (2005)


    TL;DR for the commenter you’re answering

    > Driving puts the body on autopilot, freeing the mind. Out‑loud self‑talk is just your brain’s way of clarifying thoughts and simulating social exchange. It’s common, boosts memory, and only becomes a problem if the voices stop feeling like yours.

    Drop that, nod once, shift gears. Done.

  29. wombat5003 Avatar

    You are fine. When there are voices in your head and you aren’t part of the conversation, then its time to seek help🤣🤣🤣

    Seriously though. Hey you are your best friend who has no secrets and you can absolutely trust no matter what. So talking to yourself is just your brains natural way of processing information in a playful way. Your brains kinda funny, and I figured out something when I was taking meditation classes when I was younger.

    When you meditate and try to concentrate on the mantra, your brain gets kinda bored, and will try to trip you up by creating imagery, or try other clever ways to bring you out of focus. And this is easy to recreate and you will get my point and laugh. Ok, here it is…

    Relax your body in a quiet place and just concenrrate on the number 1 with each exhale. You’ll see what I am referring to. 😀

  30. spandexvalet Avatar

    No. …. and it’s weird how many of you do this.

  31. kaine-87 Avatar

    Yes. It helps relieve stress

  32. AnAVEditor Avatar

    ‘s normal to do when you’re by yourself and working through something. around others, not so much.

  33. kshoggi Avatar

    It’s more common to have them in your head, not out loud. I mean are you voicing both sides of the conversation? That sounds a bit odd.

  34. StygianBlue12 Avatar

    I practice conversations with my unborn kids when I’m alone. If its not normal, then we’re weird together my friend.

  35. for404 Avatar

    Yeah, it’s totally normal! A lot of people do it without even realizing it. It’s a form of self-talk, which can help with decision-making or sorting out feelings. It’s also pretty common when you’re in a low-stimulation environment like driving, where your brain can focus on something other than the road.

  36. oneeyedziggy Avatar

    For me? Not out loud, but in my head? Absolutely… Not just while driving but more or less constantly unless I’m listening to or otherwise participating in an external conversation

  37. LookinAtTheFjord Avatar

    Tons of people talk to themselves all the time. Some people do it out loud, some only in their heads.