The Gentle Art of Tramping

So I've been reading a book about The Olden Days that is a bit too long, but essentially says that up until the 1800s there was no such thing as privacy. Houses didn't have corridors and everyone would walk around talking to themselves. It also says that societies had almost no long term memory; when a stranger came to town saying "god is almighty and will smite you down," everyone would freak out, moan and cry. Then, when someone else rolled up and started turning cartwheels and doing juggling tricks, they would laugh hysterically, totally forgetting the miserable fate bestowed on them, even if it was only hours before. This made me think, as ever, about weird tramps and loons. Those who sit on street corners shouting or muttering at themselves, and how old-fashioned they are. Then it made me think that maybe when we started internalising monologues, was the moment we all started to go nuts.