Ooops! Why we say what we're trying to hide

ooopppppsssss

Your Freudian slip is showing!

Perhaps this could help explain the extreme manifestation, tic de leroux.

This is so true! All my life, even as a small child, I found myself blurting out exactly the wrong thing at the wrong time to the wrong person. I feared it would happen and it did! As a professional adult, I have had to purposely remain silent in meetings where I had a comment swirling in my head. I knew if I started talking, it would eventually come out.

I believe this not only happens with what we say, but what we do. Since my pre-teen years, I feared a certain thing happening to me, something that I would be mortified about, and did everything I could to ensure that it didn't happen. Then, when I was 28, sure enough, it happened. After that I had to make myself stop fearing far worse things - because it does seem that if you worry about something enough, you inadvertently cause it to happen!

I grew up with an uncle who was truly the sourest person I've ever met. He had a heart of gold, but everyone was out to take advantage of him and he repeatedly bought cars that were lemons throughout my childhood and teens. At a family gathering years later, one of my brothers inadvertently said, "You know, Uncle Lemon....". No-one even heard the rest of the sentence. We looked up and stared at each other and fell apart laughing because we all knew exactly who he was talking about.

Apparently, my way of not giving a crap about what people think of me has actually helped me from causing foux pas! Neat! I still won't give a crap and I'll still blurt out what's on my mind when ever I feel like it and be greatful that I don't live my life worring about making a blunder!

My mistakes are too many to list. However, that is not the point. Why do we need scientists to tell us this? Anyone who has ever ridden a bicycle or motorcycle (or driven a car for that matter) knows that when you want to avoid an object, you look where you want to go, not at the object you want to miss. The next time you want to miss that chunk of big rig tire on the interstate, don't look at it! It's the same way with converational "slips", don't think about what you don't want to say. Focus has always been the key to successful living.

That's so true. My mother is a perfectly capable bicycle rider, but she absolutely cannot ride over a narrow bridge. She hits the sides every time - because she's afraid she'll hit the sides! She'd do better riding across with her eyes closed!

And to vixnbrianaf - as much as I'm sure people don't like to be around you, your kind does serve a purpose. Sometimes it's the honest but nasty comments you get from people who don't give a damn, who can cause you to reflect. These are things friends are hesitant to tell you out of concern for hurting your feelings. I know I've had a few lightbulb moments thanks to vixnbrianaft in my path!

This is possibly the most boring article ever written -- the readers comments have made it what it SHOULD have been...come on, science writers -- pep up your pieces with a few anecdotes!!

What liberal democrats say about other people always comes back to being what they believe about themselves and their own core beliefs. They think misery does love company.

Oh, you mean when Jamie Foxx called Miley Cyrus a 'stupid white **itch' a few weeks ago? Sure we understand that and there is a word in the dictionary for it; and it is not gaffe. It is in the 'R' section.

I know exactly what you mean. I meant to say to my wife, "Can I get you some tea, Honey?" and instead I said, "You're ruining my life, you evil witch!"

(It's a joke. I'm not even married...anymore.)