What’s the Plural of Self?

The word self is a fundamental term in English, often used to refer to a person’s essential being, individuality, or identity. It’s a concept that plays a crucial role in fields ranging from psychology and philosophy to everyday language. However, when you need to refer to more than one “self,” what is the correct plural form?

In this article, we will explore the plural form of self, provide examples of its usage, and answer common questions related to its pluralization. By the end of the article, you will have a clear understanding of how to use the plural form of self correctly in various contexts.

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What Is the Plural of “Self”?

The plural of self is selves. When you change self to selves, the -f at the end of the word changes to -v before adding -es, as is the case with many English words ending in -f or -fe (e.g., leaf becomes leaves, wolf becomes wolves).

Why Does “Self” Change to “Selves”?

In English, certain nouns that end in -f or -fe follow a pattern of changing the f sound to a v sound in the plural form. This is a rule that is not universal for all -f ending words (for instance, roof becomes roofs, not rooves), but it applies to self.

This pluralization pattern has roots in Old English, where the -f to -v shift occurred as part of the natural phonetic evolution of the language. In the case of self, the plural form selves follows this historical pattern.

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Examples of “Selves” in Sentences

Now that we know the plural of self is selves, let’s look at some examples of how it is used in sentences. Selves is often used in contexts where we are referring to multiple people’s identities, personas, or inner beings.

Singular Form of “Self”:

• I need to focus on improving my self before I can help others.
  (Here, self refers to one person’s individual being.)
• She is always true to her self, no matter the situation.
  (In this sentence, self refers to her personal identity.)
• The philosopher wrote extensively about the nature of the self.
  (Here, self refers to the concept of an individual’s identity.)

Plural Form of “Selves”:

• We must all strive to better our selves in order to contribute to society.
  (In this sentence, selves refers to the individual responsibilities of multiple people.)
• They found their true selves after traveling and exploring different cultures.
  (Here, selves refers to the discovery of identity by more than one person.)
• As a society, we often wear different masks to hide our authentic selves.
  (In this example, selves refers to multiple people hiding their true identities.)

Reflexive Forms: “Yourself” and “Yourselves”

The word self also appears in reflexive pronouns like myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, and their plural counterparts: ourselves, yourselves, and themselves. These reflexive forms are used when the subject and object of a sentence are the same.

Reflexive Pronouns in Singular Form:

• I took the time to reflect on myself.
  (Here, myself is a reflexive pronoun referring back to the subject I.)
• You should take care of yourself.
  (In this sentence, yourself refers back to you, the subject.)

Reflexive Pronouns in Plural Form:

• We should all take care of ourselves during stressful times.
  (Here, ourselves refers back to the subject we.)
• You all need to be honest with yourselves about your goals.
  (In this sentence, yourselves refers back to the subject you all.)
• They should be proud of themselves for their accomplishments.
  (Here, themselves refers back to the subject they.)

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Common Uses of “Selves”

The plural form selves is commonly used in several contexts, including psychology, philosophy, and everyday conversation. Let’s explore how selves functions in these different fields.

1. Psychology: Multiple Selves

In psychology, the concept of multiple selves is often discussed to explain how individuals may exhibit different aspects of their personality in various situations. For example, someone may behave differently at work compared to how they behave at home. These different facets are sometimes referred to as selves or multiple selves.

Example:

• In social situations, people often present different selves depending on the expectations of the group.

2. Philosophy: Theories of Self and Identity

In philosophy, discussions around the nature of the self and identity often involve the plural selves when considering multiple individuals or the idea of fragmented identities within a single person.

Example:

• Some philosophers argue that we are constantly evolving, with new experiences shaping our selves over time.

3. Everyday Language: Referring to Multiple People’s Identities

In everyday language, selves is used to refer to the individual identities or personas of multiple people. This could be in the context of personal growth, self-awareness, or authenticity.

Example:

• At the retreat, participants were encouraged to reconnect with their true selves.

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Common Questions About “Self” and “Selves”

Now, let’s address some frequently asked questions about the pluralization and usage of self and selves.

Question 1:

Why does “self” become “selves” in the plural form?

Answer:
Self follows the English language rule where certain nouns ending in -f or -fe change to -ves in the plural form. This is a pattern seen in other words like leaf (plural: leaves) or wolf (plural: wolves). The change from f to v makes the pluralized word easier to pronounce and is a remnant of older language forms in English.

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Question 2:

Is “selves” ever used in the singular form?

Answer:
No, selves is strictly the plural form of self. If you are referring to one person’s identity or persona, you would use self. The word selves is only used when referring to the identities or personas of more than one person.

Example:

• Singular: I am trying to understand my self better through meditation.
• Plural: They are on a journey to discover their true selves.

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Question 3:

How do reflexive pronouns change in the plural form?

Answer:
Reflexive pronouns change in the plural form by modifying self to selves. For example, myself becomes ourselves, yourself becomes yourselves, and himself/herself becomes themselves. These changes reflect whether the subject of the sentence is singular or plural.

Examples:

• Singular: I need to take better care of myself.
• Plural: We need to take better care of ourselves.

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Question 4:

Can “selves” refer to different aspects of one person’s identity?

Answer:
Yes, in certain philosophical or psychological contexts, selves can refer to the different facets or versions of a single person’s identity. This concept is used to explain how people may have different personas or ways of behaving in different situations, which can all be considered parts of their selves.

Example:

• In her book, the author explores the idea that we all have multiple selves, each shaped by our experiences and interactions.

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Practice Questions: Using “Self” and “Selves” Correctly

Let’s test your understanding of how to use self and selves in both singular and plural contexts with the following practice questions.

Question 1:

Fill in the blank with the correct form:

We need to be true to our __ if we want to live authentically.

a) self
b) selves

Answer:
b) selves

Explanation: Since the sentence refers to we (plural), the correct form is selves.

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Question 2:

Which sentence is grammatically correct?

a) She is learning to trust her selves.
b) She is learning to trust her self.

Answer:
*b) She is learning to trust her self.

Explanation: The singular form self is used because the sentence refers to one person’s identity.

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Question 3:

True or False:
“Selves” is the plural of “self.”

Answer:
True

Explanation: The plural of self is selves, following the English rule of changing -f to -ves in certain nouns.

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Question 4:

Which reflexive pronoun is correct in the following sentence?

They should be proud of __ for completing the project.

a) themselves
b) theirselves

Answer:
a) themselves

Explanation: Themselves is the correct reflexive pronoun. Theirselves is not standard in English.

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Conclusion

To summarize, the plural of self is selves, following the pattern of changing f to v and adding -es. Selves is used when referring to multiple people’s identities, personas, or inner beings. Additionally, selves appears in reflexive pronouns such as ourselves, yourselves, and themselves.

Key Takeaways:

• The plural of self is selves.
• Reflexive pronouns change in the plural (e.g., myself becomes ourselves, yourself becomes yourselves).
• Selves is used in psychology and philosophy to discuss multiple identities or personas, but can also be used in everyday language.
• Selves never appears in the singular form; use self when referring to one person’s identity.

By understanding the correct usage of self and selves, you can ensure clarity and grammatical accuracy when discussing identities, personas, or individual responsibilities in both singular and plural contexts.