“Lessons in Chemistry” (post 1) by Bonnie Garmus”: He heard himself say

“Elizabeth Zott,” you’re going to change the world, he heard himself say (1, p. 56).

Comment: If I were cynical, I might say that the above is a psychological manipulation to get readers to think of this novel, and especially this character, as world-changing. But my focus is on the phrase "he heard himself say,” which is a kind of phrase found in many novels. It is commonplace. So why am I making an issue of it?

Because I, myself, never have the experience of hearing myself say things. My hearing is normal, and in that sense, I do hear what I say. But the phrase “he heard himself say” is like saying “In writing this post, I feel my hands hit keys on the keyboard.” Sure, I do, but I wouldn’t bother to say it, because my hands are me. They do not have independent agency.

I would explicitly say that I heard myself say something only if I felt it was, somehow, not the regular, one and only, me, saying it, which would imply that something inside me, but somehow distinct from me—perhaps an alter ego or alternate personality, with, in some sense, a mind of its own—were responsible for saying it.

In short, when characters in novels are said to hear themselves say things, it is probably a reflection of the author’s multiple personality trait.

1. Bonnie Garmus. Lessons in Chemistry. New York, Doubleday, 2022.