Why won't an email to an OpenERP user leave OpenERP?

I've configured SMPT to use gmail and have sent out emails to all kinds of addresses. But, if I send an email to myself, an OpenERP user, it ends up in my OpenERP inbox but not in my gmail inbox. I don't intend to use my OpenERP inbox. I've not configured an outgoind OpenERP email server.

If I delete my email address from my OpenERP user contact information then it I can send to that email as a new contact and it goes as expected to my gmail inbox.

I've tested setting the user preferences "Receive Messages by Email" both to "None" and "All" but the result is the same.