Why do people refer to themselves in third person?

Huge egos. I was really taken aback when Sarah Palin kept calling herself “we.” Third person is even worse!

My kids do it…..but then they are excused as they are still sorting through the whole “proper use of language” thing. They are still in preschool.

@marina, I say “we” a lot, but it’s because I’m a Gemini. ;-)

maybe they think, you wont know who they are talking about…..? or they just really want to make sure you know their name…..?
Just start referring to yourself in the third person, and then it will seem like a little party….

I’m not sure why Nimis does it.
Maybe Nimis just gets bored sometimes?
Boredom can usually explain much of Nimis’ behavior.

We think that Nimis should get a hobby.

Collecting airsickness bags maybe? I hear its going to be more popular, than collecting magnets ever was

Lighltyseared does it to distance himself from himself.

Wasn’t there a Seinfeld episode about this? What was the name?

P.S. – Why have all of pholosophy’s responses been removed by Fluther moderators?

^ – my first use of whisper on Fluther!

There are lots of hobbies to choose from….LMAO

Gail: Nimis has many hobbies!
Talking in third person is one of them.
Just kidding. Nimis realizes that it’s annoying.
Nimis just thought it was the most appropriate response to the question.

@G.o.S.
Philo was a troll

Gail wonders whether Nimis is entitled to use the Royal ‘we”. We think so.

asmonet does not know why others do it, but asmonet thinks its jolly good fun. asmonet judges only when its clear that speking in the third person is ‘normal’ for them…if it’s a joke, asmonet digs it. like dirt.

Hubris.

MacBean does it sometimes for the same reason as Lightlyseared.

Randy never does it. Randy is scared when talking to people that talk in third person because it makes Randy sometimes talk bad about the person that Randy is talking to because Randy sometimes forgets that he’s talking to that person.

Adrienne’s done it before and Adrienne thinks it’s pretty fun. Adrienne just doesn’t for fun, but not all the time, because that would be silly.

Augustlan thinks these people are mighty full of themselves, unless they are using it as a blogger’s “voice”.

i think its creepy :)

to spice things up! :)
we always think it makes it a bit more interesting, don’t you?
(not that i actually do it)

So, looking at the answers so far, I’d say people refer to themselves in the third person for one of two reasons:

1.) Too much self-esteem
2.) Not enough self-esteem

Clinically, grandiosity covers both of MacBean’s reasons. Apparent need to be the center of the universe with an underlay of severe insecurity. (Unless you are Queen Victoria, who had no sense of humor and was never amused by the royal “we.”)