Illeism: The act of referring to oneself in the third person singular.

Bob Dole, the late U.S. Senator from Russell, Kansas, was a famous Illeist. He ran for president in 1996 and often used the third person in his speeches and this trait became known as “Doleisms.” He is quoted: “Bob Dole is a doer, not a talker.” Some people found it annoying, but when he referred to himself, listeners thought he was trying to increase his name recognition.

It is interesting to note that speech mannerisms are a vital part of each person’s character. We often speak in second person; an example is “I opened th...