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Illeism
Illeism
Illeism
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Look up illeist or illeism in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Illeism (/ˈɪli.ɪzəm/; from Latin ille: "he; that man") is the act of referring to oneself in the third person instead of first person. It is sometimes used in literature as a stylistic device. In real-life usage, illeism can reflect a number of different stylistic intentions or involuntary circumstances.

In literature

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Early literature such as Julius Caesar's Commentarii de Bello Gallico or Xenophon's Anabasis, both ostensibly non-fictional accounts of wars led by their authors, used illeism to impart an air of objective impartiality, which included justifications of the author's actions. In this way personal bias is presented, albeit dishonestly, as objectivity.

In an essay, theologian Richard B. Hays challenged earlier findings that he disagrees with: "These were the findings of one Richard B. Hays, and the newer essay treats the earlier work and earlier author at arms' length."[1]

Illeism may also be used to show idiocy, as with the character Mongo in Blazing Saddles, e.g. "Mongo like candy" and "Mongo only pawn in game of life", though it may also show innocent simplicity, as it does with Harry Potter's Dobby the Elf ("Dobby has come to protect, even if he does have to shut his ears in the oven door"). The childlike Sesame Street Muppet character Elmo almost exclusively speaks in the third person.

In the Babylonian Talmud and related texts, illeism is used extensively, often taking the form of the speaker utilizing the expression hahu gavra ("That man") when referring to himself.[2]

In everyday speech

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In different contexts, illeism can be used to reinforce self-promotion, as used to sometimes comic effect by Bob Dole throughout his political career ("When the president is ready to deploy, Bob Dole is ready to lead the fight on the Senate Floor", Bob Dole speaking about the Strategic Defense Initiative at the NCPAC convention, 1987). This was particularly made notable during the United States presidential election of 1996 and lampooned broadly in popular media for years afterwards. Deepanjana Pal of Firstpost noted that speaking in the third person "is a classic technique used by generations of Bollywood scriptwriters to establish a character's aristocracy, power and gravitas".[3]

On the other hand, third person self-referral can be associated with self-deprecation, irony, and not taking oneself too seriously (since the excessive use of the pronoun "I" is often seen as a sign of narcissism and egocentrism),[4] as well as with eccentricity in general. Psychological studies show that thinking and speaking of oneself in the third person increases wisdom and has a positive effect on one's mental state because an individual who does so is more intellectually humble, more capable of empathy and understanding the perspectives of others, and is able to distance themself emotionally from their problems.[5][6][7][8]

Accordingly, in certain Eastern religions, like Hinduism, illeism is sometimes seen as a sign of enlightenment, since through it, an individual detaches their eternal self (atman) from their bodily form; in particular, Jnana yoga encourages its practitioners to refer to themselves in the third person.[9] Known illeists of that sort include Swami Ramdas,[10] Anandamayi Ma,[11] and Mata Amritanandamayi.[12]

A number of celebrities, including Marilyn Monroe,[13][14] Alice Cooper,[15] and Deanna Durbin,[16] referred to themselves in the third person to distance their public persona from their actual self. Mary J. Blige, in her song "Family Affair", introduces herself in the third person.

Some parents use illeism (refer to themselves as "Daddy" or "Mommy") because very young children may not yet understand that the pronouns "I" and "you" refer to different people based on context.[17][18] Toddlers acquiring speech often refer to themselves in the third person before learning proper usage of the pronoun "I", and their speech evolves past using illeism once they develop a strong sense of self-recognition, often before age two.[19]

In Japanese, children may refer to themselves by their name, girls in particular. Furthermore, Japanese women may refer to themselves by their name to appear cute or childish. This practice is associated with burikko, a Japanese term for women who put on an affect of cuteness.[20]

Notable illeists

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Real people

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Main page: Category:Illeists

Politics and military

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Sports

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Entertainment

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Religion and spirituality

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Other

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Fictional characters

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Main page: Category:Fictional illeists

Books

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  • Major Bagstock, the apoplectic retired Indian army officer in Charles Dickens' Dombey and Son (1848), refers to himself solely as Joseph, Old Joe, Joey B, Bagstock, Josh, J.B., Anthony Bagstock, and other variants of his own name.[77]
  • Captain Hook in J. M. Barrie's Peter Pan and Wendy (1911): "'Better for Hook,' he cried, 'if he had had less ambition!' It was in his darkest hours only that he referred to himself in the third person."[78]
  • Winnetou, a Native American character in the eponymous novel by Karl May.[79][80]
  • Hercule Poirot, a fictional Belgian detective created by British writer Agatha Christie, usually refers to himself in the third person.[81]
  • Gollum in The Lord of the Rings (1954–55) spoke in an idiosyncratic manner, often referring to himself in the third person, and frequently talked to himself—"through having no one else to speak to", as Tolkien put it in The Hobbit.[82]
  • Charlie Gordon in the acclaimed novel Flowers for Algernon (1959) speaks in third person in the "being outside one's body and watching things happen" manner in his flashbacks to his abusive and troubled childhood suffering from phenylketonuria.[83]
  • Boday, a quirky female artist in Jack Chalker's Changewinds trilogy (1987–88).[84]
  • Y. T., a teenage girl in Snow Crash (1992) by Neal Stephenson.[85]
  • Bast the Wood Elf in The Council Wars series by John Ringo.
  • The healer and wisewoman Magda Digby in the Owen Archer series (1993–2019) by Candace Robb.[86]
  • Jaqen H'ghar, an assassin of the Faceless Men in the fantasy suite A Song of Ice and Fire (1996–), consistently refers to himself ("a man") as well as frequently the person he is addressing (e.g. "a girl") in impersonal, third person form, and never by name.[87]
  • Dobby the Elf in the Harry Potter series (1997–2007).
  • Ramona, the housekeeper and mentor in Silver Ravenwolf's Witches Chillers series (2000–01).[88]
  • The old man Nakata in Haruki Murakami's Kafka on the Shore (2002).[89][90]
  • Tigger in the Winnie the Pooh books, films and television series frequently refers to himself in the third-person plural, e.g. "That's what Tiggers do best!"
  • At least in the book versions of Rumpole of the Bailey, protagonist Horace Rumpole sometimes narrates Rumpole's fate in the third person.
  • Herbert Stencil, a major character within Thomas Pynchon's novel V. refers to himself as Stencil and speaks in the third person.[91]

Comics

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  • Doctor Doom is known for more often than not referring to himself as "Doom" instead of "me" or "I".[92]
  • The Hulk[92]
  • Solomon Grundy[92]
  • Mantis almost always refers to herself as "Mantis", "she", and "this one"; this has to do with her upbringing at the Temple of the Priests of Pama, an alien pacifistic sect heavily inspired by real-life Eastern religious movements.[93]
  • Namor

Television

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Film

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Manga and anime

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Video games

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See also

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References

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Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Illeism

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
Illeism is the linguistic practice of referring to oneself in the third person, typically using one's proper name or a third-person such as "he" or "she," rather than first-person pronouns like "I" or "me." The term derives from the Latin ille, meaning "he" or "that one," combined with the -ism to denote a habitual or stylistic tendency. Historically, illeism has appeared in and to convey , objectivity, or distance, as seen in Julius Caesar's , where he consistently refers to himself as "Caesar" (e.g., "Caesar avenged the public") rather than in the first person. Similar self-referential third-person usage occurs in classical Greek and Roman texts by historians like , , and Flavius , as well as in biblical and Near Eastern contexts where deities such as or El employ it to emphasize divine sovereignty. In these instances, illeism functions not merely as stylistic affectation but as a deliberate rhetorical tool to elevate the speaker's perspective above personal subjectivity, often signaling preeminence or detachment from immediate emotions. Modern has substantiated cognitive benefits of illeism, particularly in self-talk, where third-person referencing promotes emotional regulation, wiser , and reduced reactivity to stress. Studies by Ethan Kross and colleagues demonstrate that this distanced perspective creates mental space from one's thoughts and feelings, enhancing control over anxiety and improving performance in challenging tasks, such as or problem-solving. While excessive illeism can be perceived as narcissistic or grandiose in contemporary contexts, underscores its utility as a first-principles for fostering rational and clearer reasoning, countering the pitfalls of egocentric first-person immersion.

Definition and Origins

Definition

Illeism is the practice of referring to oneself in the third person, typically by using a third-person such as "he" or by employing one's own proper name instead of the first-person pronoun "I". This linguistic habit can manifest in speech, writing, or internal , and while it may occur occasionally as a , illeism proper denotes more habitual or excessive self-reference in this manner. The term derives from the Latin pronoun ille, meaning "he" or "that man," combined with the -ism, reflecting its emphasis on third-person pronouns applied to the self. Coined in the early 19th century by the poet , illeism distinguishes itself from mere stylistic third-person narration by implying a deliberate detachment or in everyday or personal contexts. Strictly interpreted, it highlights overuse of "he" for oneself, as in archaic or affected speech, though contemporary usage often encompasses name-based references, such as an individual stating "John believes this" rather than "I believe this". In psychological and linguistic analysis, illeism serves as a form of self-distancing, potentially aiding objectivity, but it contrasts with pathological conditions like nominal aphasia where third-person self-reference arises involuntarily due to neurological impairment rather than volition.

Etymology

The term illeism was coined by English poet in 1809 as an antonym to egotism, the latter characterized by excessive use of the first-person I. Coleridge employed it to describe the stylistic or rhetorical of self-reference via third-person pronouns, contrasting it with self-centered first-person excess. Etymologically, illeism combines the Latin ille—meaning "he," "that man," or "that one"—with the English suffix -ism, which denotes a practice, doctrine, or distinctive feature, patterned after . This formation reflects a deliberate linguistic inversion, substituting the third-person distal reference of ille for the proximal ego ("I") to highlight detached self-narration. The word entered broader lexicographic recognition in subsequent , maintaining its roots in morphology without significant alteration.

Historical Origins

The practice of illeism, referring to oneself in the third person, traces its documented origins to , particularly in where it served rhetorical and emphatic functions in speeches. In Homer's (composed circa 750–650 BCE), deities and heroes such as , Achilles, and employ third-person self-reference, as analyzed in scholarly examinations of ancient Near Eastern and classical texts; for instance, declares actions attributed to "Zeus" to underscore divine authority and inevitability. This usage reflects a convention in oral and literary traditions for distancing the speaker from the self, enhancing objectivity or grandeur in narrative contexts. In the Roman era, illeism gained prominence in as a stylistic device for authoritative detachment. (100–44 BCE) systematically adopted it in his (composed 58–50 BCE), a firsthand account of his Gallic campaigns, where he narrates events using "Caesar" rather than first-person pronouns—e.g., "Caesar avenged the public" instead of "I avenged the public"—to project impartiality and elevate the narrative's historical tone. This approach mirrored earlier Greek influences, such as Xenophon's Anabasis (circa 370 BCE), but Caesar's application standardized it in Latin prose for military and political memoirs, influencing subsequent Roman writers. Later Roman philosophical writing further exemplified illeism's introspective application. Emperor (121–180 CE) incorporated third-person references to himself in (written circa 170–180 CE), a personal journal of Stoic reflections, treating his own thoughts and actions as objects of external scrutiny to foster self-discipline and ethical clarity—e.g., advising "Marcus" on virtues as if to another. These instances underscore illeism's evolution from epic to a tool for cognitive distancing in elite Roman discourse, distinct from everyday speech and rooted in the pursuit of perceived objectivity amid power dynamics.

Psychological and Cognitive Aspects

Cognitive Benefits

Third-person self-talk, a form of illeism, promotes cognitive self-distancing, enabling individuals to analyze their thoughts and experiences with greater objectivity, akin to evaluating others rather than immersing in egocentric first-person perspectives. This psychological distance reduces immersion in negative emotions, facilitating adaptive reappraisal without substantial engagement of executive control resources, as evidenced by showing decreased activity in regions like the medial associated with self-referential rumination. Empirical studies demonstrate that illeism enhances wise reasoning, characterized by , recognition of situational limits to knowledge, and integration of diverse viewpoints. In experiments prompting participants to reflect on social dilemmas using third-person , responses exhibited higher wisdom scores compared to first-person conditions, with effects persisting across interpersonal and intrapersonal conflicts. Illeism also supports improved under emotional stress by mitigating from immediate affective states. For instance, distanced self-talk during financial choice tasks increased rationally self-interested outcomes, shifting toward probabilistic evaluation over visceral impulses. These benefits extend to performance enhancement, as third-person instructions during high-pressure tasks like anagrams or putting yielded superior results versus first-person or no self-talk, attributed to reduced anxiety interference with .

Emotional and Self-Regulatory Effects

Third-person self-talk, a form of illeism, has been shown to facilitate emotion regulation by promoting psychological self-distancing, which reduces the intensity of negative emotional responses. In a 2017 study using (EEG), participants who engaged in third-person self-talk while viewing distressing images exhibited a significantly reduced late positive potential (LPP), an marker of emotional reactivity, compared to those using first-person self-talk. This effect persisted even without explicit cognitive reappraisal instructions, suggesting illeism enables implicit emotion regulation without heavy reliance on executive control resources. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) corroborates these findings, demonstrating that third-person self-talk downregulates activity in brain regions associated with self-referential processing and emotional distress, such as the medial prefrontal cortex and , during exposure to negative autobiographical memories. Such distanced processing helps mitigate rumination and anxiety, with experimental evidence indicating lower self-reported emotional distress in illeism conditions versus immersive first-person narration. Longitudinal applications, including silent third-person self-talk, further support its role in sustaining calmer responses to stressors, as participants reported decreased anxiety and improved mood regulation in real-time stress scenarios. Regarding self-regulation, illeism enhances control over impulses and behaviors by fostering objective self-evaluation. A 2020 study found that distanced self-talk led to healthier choices, with participants selecting fewer unhealthy snacks when instructed to refer to themselves in the third person, attributing this to reduced in . In decision contexts, third-person increases rational and reduces emotional interference, as evidenced by improved performance in economic games where distanced participants prioritized long-term gains over immediate affective pulls. These effects extend to broader , with meta-analytic reviews of self-distancing techniques linking illeism to better inhibition of habitual responses under pressure, though benefits may vary by individual trait differences like baseline emotional reactivity.

Associations with Narcissism and Personality

Illeism, particularly when used in public speech, is frequently associated in popular discourse with narcissistic tendencies or , as exemplified by figures such as former U.S. Senator , who habitually referred to himself as "Bob Dole" during speeches and interviews, leading observers to interpret it as self-aggrandizement. This perception aligns with anecdotal views that third-person self-reference elevates the speaker above ordinary first-person discourse, potentially signaling an inflated sense of self-importance. However, such interpretations often stem from informal observations rather than empirical validation, and credible psychological analyses caution against equating illeism outright with , noting that the practice can serve non-pathological rhetorical or cognitive functions. In contrast, experimental on third-person self-talk—illeism applied internally or silently—demonstrates associations with adaptive processes, including enhanced emotional and self-distancing, which counteract rather than exemplify narcissistic traits like poor or . A 2017 study using EEG and fMRI found that third-person self-talk reduced emotional reactivity to negative stimuli without relying on executive cognitive control, facilitating quicker recovery from distress compared to first-person self-talk. This self-distancing mechanism promotes objective , akin to viewing oneself as an external observer, which correlates with wiser reasoning and reduced in . Regarding broader personality traits, illeism shows no robust empirical link to (NPD) diagnostic criteria, such as exploitative interpersonal styles or lack of remorse, per frameworks; instead, habitual self-distancing via third-person reference is tied to traits like higher and resilience under stress. For instance, longitudinal data from self-regulation studies indicate that individuals employing distanced self-talk exhibit lower rumination and better performance in high-pressure tasks, traits inversely related to maladaptive . While public illeism in charismatic leaders may amplify perceptions of dominance—a trait overlapping with subclinical —no causal evidence supports illeism as a marker or cause of pathological personality disorders, emphasizing instead its utility in fostering and rational self-interest.

Linguistic and Rhetorical Usage

In Everyday Speech

In interactions between parents and young children, illeism commonly manifests as a pedagogical tool to support early language development. Parents often refer to themselves by name or role, stating phrases such as "Mommy is tired" or "Daddy will push the swing," which simplifies pronoun acquisition for toddlers prone to reversal errors, where children confuse "I" and "you." This third-person framing reinforces speaker-listener distinctions, fostering self-awareness and grammatical clarity until children reliably adopt first-person pronouns, typically by age 3 to 4. Young children themselves frequently engage in illeism during the holophrastic and early telegraphic stages of speech, producing utterances like "Timmy go sleep" rather than "I go sleep," reflecting a developmental preference for concrete nouns over abstract pronouns. This pattern aligns with linguistic theories positing that proper names provide stable referents amid fluctuating perspective-taking skills, gradually resolving as syntactic competence matures. Persistence beyond preschool age, however, may warrant evaluation for underlying delays, though it remains normative in initial verbal expression. Among adults, illeism in casual speech is infrequent and often interpreted as self-aggrandizing or detached, diverging from standard first-person norms that promote conversational intimacy. Experimental evidence indicates occasional deliberate adoption for , such as in high-stress scenarios; participants instructed to use third-person phrasing (e.g., "[Name] can handle this") prior to anxiety-inducing tasks like speeches reported lower rumination and higher composure ratings from observers. A 2014 study by Ethan Kross and colleagues found such distanced self-talk reduced physiological and post-task relative to first-person variants, suggesting utility in everyday self-motivation despite its rarity in unprompted dialogue.

In Rhetoric and Politics

employed illeism extensively in his , referring to himself as "Caesar" rather than "I" to convey an impression of detached objectivity in narrating military campaigns, a stylistic choice that enhanced the perceived impartiality of his accounts. This rhetorical technique, rooted in ancient practices, allowed leaders to present actions as part of a larger historical , distancing personal agency while underscoring authority. In modern political discourse, illeism has served purposes of self-promotion and emphasis. , during his 1996 U.S. presidential campaign, frequently referred to himself in the third person, as in statements like "Bob Dole will fight for tax cuts," which critics and observers noted created a detached, promotional tone but sometimes elicited comedic perceptions of self-importance. Similarly, incorporated illeism in speeches and statements, such as asserting that "Donald Trump is going to be the best," to reinforce and project decisiveness amid policy discussions on issues like . Rhetorically, illeism in can simulate objectivity by framing the speaker's views as external observations, potentially aiding in debates or memoirs, though overuse risks alienating audiences by appearing narcissistic or evasive. Empirical analyses of such usage, including in comparative rhetorical studies, indicate it heightens self-focus but varies in effectiveness based on context and audience reception, with historical precedents like yielding lasting influence while contemporary examples often provoke mixed interpretations.

Representations in Literature and Media

In Literature

In William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar (performed circa 1599), the protagonist Julius Caesar employs illeism to project an aura of imperial detachment and unyielding resolve, reflecting the historical Caesar's own third-person narration in his Commentarii de Bello Gallico (c. 50–40 BCE), where he wrote phrases like "Caesar avenged the public" rather than using the first person. Examples include Caesar's retort to omens of peril: "Caesar should be a beast without a heart / If he should stay at home today for fear. / No, Caesar shall not," which elevates his personal agency to a symbolic, almost mythic stature. This technique appears more prevalently in Shakespeare's Roman plays than in his other works, with illeism occurring over seven times as frequently, suggesting the playwright associated it with classical Roman gravitas and rhetorical elevation. Agatha Christie's , introduced in (1920), uses illeism as a hallmark of his eccentric precision, often declaring "Hercule Poirot knows" or "It is the little grey cells of Hercule Poirot that solve the case," which underscores his self-perceived intellectual superiority and methodical detachment from emotional interference in detection. This stylistic choice amplifies Poirot's foreign quirkiness and reliability as a sleuth across Christie's 33 novels featuring the character, serving both comedic effect and narrative function in revealing his inner logic. In J.R.R. Tolkien's trilogy (published 1954–1955), refers to his ranger alias in the third person, as in "Strider shall be your guide," to maintain psychological distance between his humble wandering identity and latent kingship, portraying a deliberate adopted for vigilance amid peril. Such usage highlights illeism's role in for signaling concealed nobility or strategic self-objectification. Literary illeism often functions to denote inflated ego, , or authoritative poise without direct exposition, as in these cases where it externalizes internal states for dramatic irony or reader insight; scholars note its roots in classical but its adaptation in fiction for character depth rather than mere historical mimicry.

Fictional Characters

In J.R.R. Tolkien's (1954–1955), the character frequently refers to himself in the third person or as "we," manifesting his psychological fragmentation and dual personas of Smeagol and Gollum. This speech pattern underscores his mental deterioration induced by the One Ring's corrupting influence, blending self-reference with internal . In , the —debuting in The Incredible Hulk #1 (May 1962), created by and —consistently employs third-person self-reference, as in phrases like "Hulk smash," a trait evident from early issues onward. This linguistic choice conveys the character's primal rage and limited cognition, distinguishing his Savage Hulk persona from Bruce Banner's articulate first-person narration. House-elf Dobby in J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series (1997–2007) substitutes his proper name for first-person pronouns, stating lines such as "Dobby is free" upon gaining independence in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (1998). This illeism highlights the subservient, ritualistic mindset ingrained in house-elf culture, where self-denial reinforces loyalty to wizards. On (debuting 1969), the Muppet , introduced in the 1980s, routinely uses third-person reference like "Elmo wants" to replicate preschoolers' egocentric speech development stages. Linguists note this as a deliberate of toddler illeism, aiding young viewers' by modeling transitional use before full first-person mastery. Illeism in these characters often signals deviance from normative self-reference: dissociation or madness in , brutish simplicity in the , cultural conditioning in Dobby, and developmental innocence in , enhancing narrative depth without implying real-world pathology unless contextually tied to trauma or .

Notable Illeists

Historical Figures

(100–44 BC) frequently employed illeism in his (composed 58–49 BC), a firsthand account of his campaigns in , by referring to himself as "Caesar" rather than using the first-person . This technique appears in passages such as descriptions of military decisions and actions, for instance, recounting how "Caesar avenged the public" instead of "I avenged the public," creating narrative distance that enhanced the work's perceived objectivity and authority. Scholars interpret this as a rhetorical strategy to elevate the author's , aligning with Roman conventions for historical writing that prioritized impartiality over personal subjectivity. Xenophon (c. 430–354 BC), the Greek historian and soldier, similarly adopted third-person self-reference in his Anabasis (c. 370 BC), which chronicles the retreat of Greek mercenaries after the in 401 BC. Rather than narrating as "I," Xenophon describes his leadership roles and decisions in the third person, such as detailing strategic maneuvers undertaken by "Xenophon" amid the expedition's perils. This approach mirrors Caesar's but maintains a semi-detached perspective, avoiding full first-person immersion to underscore collective leadership within the Ten Thousand. Polybius (c. 200–118 BC), the Hellenistic Greek historian, incorporated illeism when recounting events involving himself in his Histories, opting for third-person formulations to describe his diplomatic and advisory roles during Roman expansion in the Mediterranean. This usage, evident in sections addressing his captivity and subsequent influence in after 168 BC, served to integrate personal experiences into a broader historiographical framework, emphasizing and political realism over autobiographical intimacy. Such practices among these ancient authors reflect a deliberate stylistic choice in antiquity, often linked to enhancing in military and political narratives rather than indicative of .

Modern Real-World Figures

, the U.S. Senator from and 1996 Republican presidential nominee, frequently employed illeism in public speeches and interviews, substituting "Bob Dole" for first-person pronouns to emphasize his positions or experiences. For instance, during the 1996 campaign, he stated, " served his country," rather than "I served my country," a attributed to his formal rhetorical style and wartime injuries affecting speech patterns. This usage drew commentary for its distancing effect, potentially reinforcing Dole's image as a principled but occasionally perceived as detached. Basketball player has used illeism in post-game analyses and self-talk, referring to himself as "LeBron" to maintain emotional distance during high-pressure situations, such as after the Game 6 loss where he noted, " has to wake up tomorrow and try to figure out how to get better." Psychological research suggests this third-person self-reference aids in regulating emotions and improving under stress, a technique James adopted intuitively for performance enhancement. Former President incorporated illeism in political , often saying "Trump" in lieu of "I" to underscore achievements or critiques, as in statements like "Trump knows more about [topic] than anybody," observed during his 2016 campaign and presidency. This pattern, noted in analyses of his speech, aligns with a branding strategy emphasizing authority, though critics have linked it to self-aggrandizement without empirical validation of superior knowledge claims. Athletes like and also popularized illeism in sports contexts; O'Neal frequently declared "Diesel" or "Shaq does this" in interviews to project confidence, while Henderson, the MLB stolen-base record holder, quipped post-retirement, "Rickey's the best," in reference to his career stats of 1,406 stolen bases as of 2003. Such usages in locker-room banter or media appearances serve motivational purposes, corroborated by studies on self-distanced speech boosting resilience in competitive environments.

References

  1. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/illeism
  2. https://www.oed.com/dictionary/illeism_n
  3. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/illeism
  4. https://lsa.umich.edu/psych/news-events/all-news/faculty-news/illeism--the-ancient-trick-to-help-you-think-more-wisely.html
  5. https://www.academia.edu/38311342/Review_of_Elledge_Use_of_the_Third_Person_for_Self_Reference_by_Jesus_and_Yahweh
  6. https://repository.sbts.edu/bitstream/handle/10392/4954/Elledge_sbts_0207D_10248.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
  7. https://www.bps.org.uk/research-digest/new-trial-ancient-rhetorical-trick-finds-it-can-make-you-wiser
  8. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8752811/
  9. https://aeon.co/ideas/why-speaking-to-yourself-in-the-third-person-makes-you-wiser
  10. https://medium.com/mel-magazine/the-psychology-of-referring-to-yourself-in-the-third-person-f82c7755d3f8
  11. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-art-of-self-improvement/202309/the-perils-of-i-me-mine-and-the-surprising-antidote
  12. https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20230411-illeism-the-ancient-trick-to-help-you-think-more-wisely
  13. https://www.thoughtco.com/illeism-self-talk-term-1691145
  14. http://www.worldwidewords.org/ww-ill.html
  15. https://www.spectator.com.au/2019/01/illeism-the-weird-habit-of-talking-about-oneself-in-the-third-person/
  16. https://www.dailywritingtips.com/illeism-and-other-english-words-from-latin-pronouns/
  17. https://dokumen.pub/use-of-the-third-person-for-self-reference-by-jesus-and-yahweh-a-study-of-illeism-in-the-bible-and-ancient-near-eastern-texts-and-its-implications-for-christology-9780567671431-9780567671455-9780567671448.html
  18. https://www.pthu.nl/over-pthu/organisatie/medewerkers/p.sanders/downloads/elledge-illeism-review-sanders.pdf
  19. https://andrewperlot.substack.com/p/how-to-journal-like-a-philosopher
  20. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-017-04047-3
  21. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5495792/
  22. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-04010-3
  23. https://msutoday.msu.edu/news/2017/07/talking-to-yourself-in-the-third-person-can-help-you-control-stressful-emotions
  24. https://www.forbes.com/sites/tjmccue/2019/09/06/tj-your-posts-are-radically-helping-forbes-readers/
  25. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-athletes-way/201707/silent-third-person-self-talk-facilitates-emotion-regulation
  26. https://news.umich.edu/talking-to-yourself-in-the-third-person-can-promote-healthier-eating/
  27. https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2019-28048-006
  28. https://counsellingresource.com/features/2016/02/01/illeism-and-narcissism/
  29. https://www.forbes.com/sites/stephaniesarkis/2019/04/26/gaslighters-use-the-third-person-for-dramatic-effect/
  30. https://www.fatherly.com/health/why-parents-talk-to-kids-third-person-illeism
  31. https://linguistics.stackexchange.com/questions/548/why-do-parents-refer-to-themselves-in-third-person
  32. https://blog.lovevery.com/child-development/throw-the-ball-to-mamawhats-up-with-the-third-person-anyway/
  33. https://www.parent.com/blogs/conversations/2023-why-do-we-refer-to-ourselves-in-the-third-person-when-we-talk-to-our-kids
  34. https://howtotalk.com/en/playing-catch-with-mama-understanding-the-role-of-third-person-speech-in-toddler-communication
  35. https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/articles/whats-it-called-when-you-refer-to-yourself-by-name/
  36. https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna54428571
  37. https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-33943762
  38. https://noorghazalaswad.com/uploads/1/2/6/3/126330022/aswad-2019-presidential_studies_quarterly.pdf
  39. https://conradbrunstrom.wordpress.com/2015/08/13/illeism-and-julius-caesar-conrad-brunstrom-writes-about-talking-about-oneself-in-the-third-person/
  40. https://shakespeareanyone.com/episodes/mini-shakespeares-soliloquies-and-asides
  41. https://episystechpubs.com/2018/04/13/editors-corner-illeism/
  42. https://emmawilkin.com/words-of-the-week-2/2021/6/16/illeist
  43. https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ThirdPersonPerson
  44. https://www.theblogofmazarbul.com/2024/07/25/strider-shall-be-your-guide-on-aragorn-and-illeism/
  45. https://styleoversubstance.wordpress.com/2017/05/09/many-layers-of-illeism/
  46. https://www.jstor.org/stable/2868538
  47. https://johnhalbrooks.substack.com/p/gollum-and-the-fragmented-self
  48. https://www.cbr.com/hulk-first-time-speaking-third-person/
  49. https://blog.juliosong.com/linguistics/literature/dobbys-speech/
  50. https://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=577
  51. https://academic.oup.com/book/33100/chapter/282536827
  52. http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2018/05/illeism.html
  53. https://www.alvareviewcourier.com/story/2022/04/29/local/speech-mannerisms/77679.html
  54. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1996-03-10-me-45347-story.html
  55. https://www.espn.com/blog/truehoop/post/_/id/23883/how-we-talk-about-lebron-james
  56. https://www.verywellmind.com/friday-fix-why-lebron-james-talks-to-himself-in-the-third-person-and-why-you-should-too-5185654
  57. https://www.headspace.com/articles/lebron-james-decision-making
  58. https://bleacherreport.com/articles/1075379-5-reasons-shaq-and-other-athletes-refer-to-themselves-in-the-third-person
  59. https://www.fanhospitality.com/blog/2017/04/10/top-10-times-rickey-henderson-referred-to-himself-in-the-third-person/
  60. https://www.mic.com/articles/111300/the-psychological-case-for-talking-in-the-third-person
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