The myth of the true self

Abstract

The true self is a central construct of psychotherapy, but its status as fact or fiction is uncertain. Much of the plausibility of the true self comes from the concept's ambiguity, since it encompasses several different kinds of mental entity. It may be construed as a person's belief about himself or herself, as the experience of the working of the mind, or as a characterological essence. The true self is composed of qualities borrowed from these quite disparate kinds of self, none of which, considered singly, readily fits the description. However, if the true self is viewed as a fantasy, grounded on fact, of whom the patient might become, it is an instrument that gives coherence and direction to psychotherapy.