The self explained : why and how we become who we are

Summary: "Part I addresses basic questions on how to think about the self. How does the individual fit in to society, and indeed is the self shaped more by society or by individual choice and action? Chapter 2 describes how the self results from active interplay of the individual animal and the symbolic society. Chapter 3 explores how the modern Western self took shape over time. Chapter 4 looks at cultural differences in self. In Chapter 5, I try to ward off some important misconceptions about the self. Chapters 6 and 7 look at some beginnings of self including child development, which reveals the process of selves taking shape. Chapter 8 elaborates on why groups need selves. Chapter 9 describes why moral reputation is a foundation of self and Chapter 10 discusses why unity over time is a key to self yet always unfinished. Parts III-V consider three essential parts of the self: self-knowledge, the active part of the self, and interpersonal aspects of self. The chapters in Part VI examine problems of self, ways that selves fail to function as one would like including stress, self-defeating behaviors, and mental illness"--