Who am I? — Popular Edition

Think about the last few people you spoke to.

Perhaps there was someone at home, a colleague, a friend and a person serving you in a shop. You may have spoken to one with affection, another with precision and another with the small courtesy of two strangers getting through a busy morning.

Did you use the same voice with all of them?

You might have. More likely, your manner changed. Some differences would have been deliberate. You explained something carefully because the other person was unfamiliar with it. You kept a conversation brief because there was a queue. You made a joke because you knew it would be welcome.

Other differences may have happened before you noticed them. A familiar person entered the room and you relaxed. Someone whose approval matters to you asked a question and your answer became unusually polished. You heard a particular tone and found yourself getting defensive.

We can begin here, before trying to decide which version was the real you.