We hold a private voice and a public voice.

There’s the unfettered words we think and say internally versus the preselected words we speak out loud.

Somewhere along the way adulthood dictates that we mute inner speech to self-talk and constrain outer-talk. People choose their words carefully when speaking to others. Both narratives inform our self-perception, especially as the public microphone remains more calculated.

Somewhere between the middle of our inner diary and how we act among people represents who we really are. All identity is independent and social.

But there’s a third self that exists on the web.

We live an edited real life in the social media age through avatars. Yet a curated identity can be an addictive substance, especially when the behavior is oblivious to our staring.

Life, at least outside the metaverse, is difficult to control. At some point we’re forced to ride the wave identity set on us. Authenticity is key, per say.

As time goes on, the act of speaking out loud becomes a therapy itself. We don’t alway aim to please. The loveliest, most honest people are already at peace with themselves, talking to themselves out loud.