absentmindedly; in spite of oneself; as if not oneself
Describes acting without conscious control, as if one's actions are not one's own. Often used when one is surprised by one's own behavior or when acting on impulse. The phrase is somewhat literary and fixed in form.
I found myself speaking to her, almost in spite of myself.
He stood up and applauded, as if not himself.
Standard kanji-kana mixed spelling.
Literary variant using 非ず for the negative copula; less common in modern writing.
A classical expression formed from 我 “oneself,” the particles に and も, and あらず, the negative form of あり. It literally describes being “not oneself,” yielding the senses “involuntarily” and “absentmindedly.”