Submitted by Charles:
Rosa, an acquaintance of mine from work, invited me out on a date. She seemed nice and attractive, so why not? We went out to an Italian restaurant for dinner.
Not too long into dinner, I noticed that she was whispering to herself. "Rosa," I asked, "What are you doing?"
She smiled and answered, "Oh, I'm just talking to myself."
"Oh. Okay."
From that point on, she talked to herself more and more. It wasn't so much that she was talking TO someone else and ANSWERING... it was more like she was reciting things that she was trying to remind herself about. Like, "After I write up that expense report, I have to run into town to pick up dinner, but before that I need to grab my keys from Alice before she closes for the day..."
I felt guilty about the idea of interrupting her, but I had never been in this kind of situation before. I finally said, "So, what do you like to do for fun?" or something of that nature.
She gave me a dark look, as if I had interrupted a very important train of thought. She said, "Can you hold on for a sec? I'm just following my mind, here."
"Okay."
Ten minutes later, she looked up and smiled. "Sorry about that. I just had to go through everything that I need to do. Otherwise I forget."
"It's okay. Er... what do you like to do for fun?"
She took a lot of time to think on that question, and ultimately became lost in her thoughts again. After about a minute of silence, she continued with her meal as if I hadn't said anything at all.
"Rosa," I said, "What do you like to do for fun?"
She shrugged. "I don't know. I like movies."
One more time before the end of dinner, she had another several-minute mind-following session. I have an open mind and was pleasant enough to her for the rest of the date, but I didn't go out with her again. It was just a bit too strange for me.
Before this section fills up with comments about what a nutbag your date must have been, it's safe to say that she had some sort of condition. Probably some form of obsessive/compulsive disorder, where she is so worried about not remembering what to do next that she is constantly making and checking lists. So not really schizophrenia, where there really would be more than one personality in the same shell.
ReplyDeleteI would agree that she may have some sort of condition, however, schizophrenia is not the same as the very rare Dissociative Identity Disorder (aka multiple personality disorder). Or it could be that she just has a need to talk things through so she can remember them.
ReplyDeleteWhat the hell is wrong with you? If she did have multiple personality then you could have banged a new girl everynight. Should have stuck it out to see what the cooter tasted like.
ReplyDeleteI have to say that, as someone with OCD, I obsessively worry about forgetting what I need to do next and make and check lists often...so I understand if that's what she was doing, although I never talk to myself, not among others anyway!
ReplyDeleteI completely understand why that would be off-putting and I wouldn't expect someone to date me had I been going over and over and over my lists, out loud or otherwise.
This is why they invented paper and pencils.
ReplyDeleteSome people have more trouble trouble thinking in their heads than others, and so often "think out loud". In fact Einstein was often quoted as saying he was unable to think with words in his head and the few details that can be accumulated from what has been seen of his brain suggest that this was directly related to the reason for his intelligence.
ReplyDeleteThe list thing could quite possibly be a symptom of an obsessive compulsive disorder.
Both the thinking out loud and the list thing together could be attributed to perhaps an autism spectrum disorder.
Or otherwise, could it be possible that perhaps the girl had just taken some drugs? I can imagine Salvia or Mushrooms or even Meth having those kinds of effects
I recite things to myself all the time...only when I'm alone, though. I have ADHD and it helps to keep my thoughts organized.
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