Freud famously said that the “voice” of reason is soft, but persistent. Was “voice” only a metaphor, or was it the voice of his alternate personality?

If multiples (people with multiple personality) have felt since childhood that they had other people inside them, and if singles have never felt that way, might each group assume that everyone must be like themselves?

For example, suppose there were a discussion about “finding one’s true voice” or “having a different voice” or “finding the right voice.” Multiples would be referring to a voice in their head, a voice of an alternate personality. But singles would assume that “voice” was just a metaphor.

When Freud said, “The voice of the intellect is a soft one, but it will not rest until it has gained a hearing. Finally, after a countless succession of rebuffs, it succeeds,” did he mean a voice that he heard in his head or was he only speaking metaphorically?

I had always assumed the latter, but since I deduced that Freud, himself, probably had multiple personality (search “Freud” in this blog to find my essay), I have come to suspect that the above quote refers to an alternate personality whom Freud considered his voice of reason.

At least that’s one theory for why some people (like novelists) are more inclined than other people to use the “metaphor” of voice.