A Behavioral Approach to the Problem of Self-Control,

Ordinary, everyday uses of the terms I and myself seem to vary widely, although it also seems that one can identify common symbolic behavioral aspects of these uses. Certain persons who have suffered amputation of a hand are very clear that the hand, and consequently, certain behavior is lost. There is no suggestion that part of the I, the me, or the self is lost. In contrast, other persons separated from a loved companion--or even from a loved landscape--express the loss as it is as though I had lost part of myself or, part of me is gone. Of course, if one defines the I and the me, in contra-distinction to 11the not I and the not me, as bounded by the skin and possibly by the respiratory, gastro-intestinal and genito-urinary mucuous membranes then in both the cases mentioned one can say the terms I and me are being used metaphorically or analogically. The introduction of such a subsidiary hypothesis hardly helps unless one agrees to operate in the frame of reference of the ancient humors 1--where the I is in a good, or bad or what-not humor.