1st Edition

On Multiple Selves

Edited By David Lester Copyright 2015

    On Multiple Selves refutes the idea that a human being has a single unified self. Instead, David Lester argues, the mind is made up of multiple selves, and this is a normal psychological phenomenon. Lester expands on his earlier work on the phenomenon, illuminating how a "multiple-self theory of the mind" is critically necessary to understanding human behavior.

    Most of us are aware that we have multiple selves. We adopt different "facade selves" depending on whom we are with. Lester argues that contrary to the popular psychological term, "false self," these presentations of self are all part of us, not false; they simply cover layers of identity. He asserts that at any given moment in time, one or another of our subselves is in control and determines how we think and act. Lester covers situations that may encourage the development of multiple selves, ranging from post-traumatic stress resulting from combat to bilinguals who speak two (or more) languages fluently.

    Lester's views of multiple selves will resonate with readers' individual subjective experience. On Multiple Selves is an essential read for psychologists, philosophers, and social scientists and will fascinate general readers as well.

    PrefacePrologue: What Is the Self?1 A Multiple Self Theory of the Mind2 Robert Lifton's Concept of the Protean Self3 The Metaphor of the Greek Gods4 Multiple Selves versus Meta-Preferences5 Mendlovic's Psychoanalytic Approach to the Multiple Self6 Rita Carter and Multiplicity7 Gestalt Therapy and the Multiple Self8 A Plethora of Similar Ideas9 Bilinguals and the Multiple Self10 Shifting11 Psychotherapists and the Multiple Self12 The Multiple Self in Fairy Tales13 Economists' Views of the Multiple Self14 What is Not a Multiple Self15 Empirical Studies of the Multiple Self16 Conclusions and Final ThoughtsReferencesSenior Author IndexSubject Index

    Biography

    David Lester