Do verbal slip ups reveal what your really thinking?

[purplepoppy]

In the UK, The Prime Minister has called for, an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and a return of the sausages.

He's not the first to muddle his words, during the Brexit debate politicians often slipped up and called it breakfast.

As for Trump, Biden and Co I'm sure you can list others. But are these just harmless trips of the tongue or do they really expose what a person is thinking of?

Updates

1 y

I suppose it's like when you slap a guy during sex because he uses the wrong name then you realise you gave him a false one.

[Lliam]

Not necessarily.
Sometimes there are Freudian slips.
Sometimes people say what they mean but wind up back peddling because of negative reaction.

But I've accidentally said things that I didn't mean. Words came out of my mouth that didn't convey what I meant or was actually thinking.

I'll never forget this one.
There was a neighbor girl who I had known and liked from early child hood and who liked my parents. When she grew up, she moved away but would come by to visit my dad on occasion after my mom died.
One time she came by when my sister, wife and I were there. She visited for a while. When she was ready to leave, I walked her out.

She was over 50 years old but still very attractive. She was a wonderful person and I wanted to say something that conveyed all that along with my appreciation for her visit to my dad. Those visits meant a lot to him.
In all sincerity, I began "Judy, you are so..." and then words escaped me. There was an uncomfortable pause and, in desperation, I searched for a word. What came out was "attractive". I could have said "sweet" or "nice" or "wonderful" or "thoughtful", but noooooo.

WTF? She was attractive for her age, but that was not was primarily on my mind. Besides I wasn't trying to hit on her because I loved my wife.

What I meant was that she was a beautiful person inside and out, and if I had started the sentence differently, that's what I would have said.

Anyway, then I felt like a creep and was embarrassed. It preyed on my mind from then on.

She and I remained in touch via Facebook and email. We were still good friends.
One time, years later, I brought up that incident and explained it the way I did here. She said she had forgotten all about it and told me not to worry about it. But I felt better after getting it off my chest.

[Maybe_Maybe_not]

Since you named Freudian slips, then:

In the framework of Id and Superego, your testimony describes a slip involving your Id (untellable attraction) making it's way up to conscious levels, overruling your Superego (marriage boundaries). You even added how your Superego brings up shame to punish your Id from feeling something you perceived unauthorised: being attracted outside of marriage.

I won't make a big fuss about whether or not it's true, but at least in a Freudian framework, your testimony is significant to me ;D

[Lliam]

@Maybe_Maybe_not. Except what was on my mind was something more like "beautiful inside and out". I guess I wanted to address both to make her feel good about herself. But I wasn't focused on her looks. I wasn't even attracted to her. So it's a stretch to assume that it was a Freudian slip. That's a big assumption.
I was only embarrassed because I thought I had made her uncomfortable.
Mentally cheating on my wife didn't cross my mind. I felt no guilt over that.

[Maybe_Maybe_not]

Okay, then hypothesis may crumble, until it doesn't, these are misty lands :D

[blueonblack22]

Politicians (no matter where they stand) are held to a much higher standard on this yet they often slip. Reason being is they are constantly asked for their opinions about world affairs and policies. And in the digital age their remarks are known instantly and in world time.

Now there was time no too long ago when a politician would later clarify and even apologize for a stupid remark. But society has become incredibly less for forgiving. So now politicians aren’t apologizing at all. It’s now up to the public to decide if they just made a slip/ gaffe vs. really believing what they said. And it seems like whatever preconceived political leaning is left to fill in the blanks.

Anyway we would all like to believe that we would have better self discipline not to blurt out something stupid if we were a politician. But when you are being scrutinized nonstop while being expected to speak on issues 24/7 you are bound to say something stupid at one point or another.

[blueonblack22]

* their remarked are made public in real time.

[JSkye]

They can go either way in all honesty.

If I am thinking about something else while I am speaking, sometimes I wind up throwing in words from the thought.

Other times, I am focused and say off-the-wall things because my brain simply retrieved the incorrect word.

I would say it is a out 75-25, favoring the side of "it doesn't mean anything"

[Jennz6]

Segment Freud talked about the Freudian slip. 🤷‍♀️

[Maybe_Maybe_not]

I personally believe in the meaning of parapraxis, but it's not something I would interpret easily or be much conclusive. I view this as meaningful when a part of an ensemble, when I'm serious, and a fun stuff to highlight, when not so serious :D

[DJB72]

Since Queer Kier has yet to demonstrate that he actually has a brain to misfire, I'm not sure we can suggest he's guilty of a Spoonerism as it would require him to actually have two thoughts simultaneously - and he usually doesn't demonstrate the ability to have one.

Trump, Harris, Biden, Trudeau, in fact most of the current English speaking world leaders seemingly only open their mouths to change feet. It's a depressing thing indeed to miss the days of John Major...

[msc545]

This kind of thing is very often given more emphasis than it deserves. At most, it makes you aware that the person making the slipup is on some level aware of the option or circumstance comprising the slipup, but nothing more than that. It does NOT signify approval or agreement.

[mstbooblover]

Somehow, deep down, I tend to believe such slip ups reveal something about what we have in mind for whatever plain down to earth reason, like being hungry for instance, or having also another unsolved problem that bothers us maybe more than the actual real topic at hand...

[AviatorTom]

Its just a harmless slipup of the brain's memory. We have no idea how words are stored in our brains, and sometimes that storage gets confused.

[Anonymous]

Starmer has no real excuse, there is a hell of a difference between a sausage and a hostage they do not look anything alike so how the hell could he mix them up!

[RavVid]

It would not be that bad if he was looking forward to a sausage lunch.

[robocop666]

Bush was talking about the war in Ukraine and said the war in Iraq was a mistake. revealing his real thoughts.

[Anonymous]

No it's just the line they're made to give to sound vaguely human

[M-Trimble]

Where can I find those boxers! Lol

[MysticDevice]

Neat boxers. Where do I get one?

[MrGSpotHer]

So sausage for breakfast and a slap...

[DtMe89]

Yeah

[LiamJHayden]

Umm, maybe

[noohair]

You got it...

[Anonymous]

Yes it does