It's a cultural quirk, not a sign of encroaching madness.

[ People rarely directly call him out on the third person thing, oddly enough. It actually trips him up a little. ]

I might be able to offer some insights, however. Conceptually, these sorts of spells are well within my purview. Are you familiar with the work of Sunnhvatr the Burning? Eighth century Norse mortal that sold his soul to a demon with a terrible sense of humor?