QI | What Is Third Man Syndrome?

This clip is from QI Series P, Episode 13, 'Phenomena' with Sandi Toksvig, Alan Davies, Cariad Lloyd, Paul Sinha and Josh Widdicombe.

[TykusBalrog]

I love how visibly spooked Alan and Cariad both were during Sandis explanation. Cariad even shuddered and jumped at the notion of breaking off something.

[JoeBleasdaleReal]

Only QI could go immediately from talk of an unsettling sensory experience to “T.S. Eliot Karaoke” in the space of 3 minutes 😂😂😂

[klaxoncow]

Alan was visibly totally weirded out by this one, wasn't he? He looked very concerned. Bless him.

[andycrockett]

This is weird, but it describes exactly what I experienced trying to finish my dissertation back in the mid-eighties. Back then, our uni computers were just underground terminals attached to a main frame beneath the library, and after two days of no sleep typing furiously (and with two days left to go), I began to realise that there was someone stood behind my right shoulder who was never there every time I looked. They stayed there until I’d finished and finally got some sleep after four days. No shit, honest!

[epiendless]

The uncanny feeling that Orson Welles is lurking in your house, and snarfed that last slice of cake?

[Purlee]

Joshua Slocum, the first man to sail solo round the World was convinced that in some of the more dangerous moments he was accompanied by the Navigator of one of Columbus' fleet, (I think it was the Pinta). He wrote about it in his autobiography

[thatLukeKneller]

I think I might like QI even more now. It's a rare show that has gotten better and better throughout its run

[aaron_]

I thought third man syndrome would've meant someone who is always talking in the third person. Aaron is gruntled.

[kjamison]

The “Always something there to remind you.” tune works quite nicely with “There is always someone walking beside you…”

[hakonsoreide]

One of the best QI clips from an episode I haven't seen.

[NekogamiKun]

And I"m sure that as they feel the sensation of there being another person with them, the climbers of Mt. Everest are reassured to know...


*that they're not... there...*

[RIXRADvidz]

I don't recall the ''breaking out in song'' as much with Stephen as we're getting with Sandi. in the Q series even the audience gets caught up. still all the fun to be had every time.

[WillJRogers]

The singing at the end was incredibly cute

[treyjetson]

I'm sure it has something to do with Human psychology and the fact that people are social creatures always actively looking for someone to interact with. So in places void of people the human brain invents things to associate with.

[Kleo]

Why does the name of the syndrome imply that there’s already somebody with me?

[amelialikesfrogs]

from Loughborough, that was oddly specific josh, no-one thinks of us

[gracewenzel]

I love how they interpreted the question “the worst place to feel another person” as the worst place (on the body) to feel another person (touching you)

[jmalmsten]

So many times I feel that humor starts with a misunderstanding and just running with it.

[WhirligigStudios]

"T. S. Eliot karaoke"--have these people ever heard of CATS? That's basically CATS.

[DrSpooglemon]

Maybe we evolved to be extra careful we haven't left someone behind and this is how it manifests.