The analogue-I and the analogue-Me: The avatars of the self

The analogue-I and analogue-me refer to mental self-relevant images that take a first-person vs. third-person perspective, respectively. Mental self-analogues are essential for goal setting, planning, and rehearsal of behavioral strategies, but they often fuel emotional and interpersonal problems when people react to their analogue selves as if they were real. This article examines the beneficial and detrimental consequences of the analogue-I and analogue-me, with a focus on egoic reactions that arise from how people think about themselves in their own minds. Phenomena such as counterfactual thinking, interpersonal conflict, jealousy, and overreactions to inconsequential events are used to illustrate the advantages and disadvantages of the mental self-analogues.

Duke Scholars

Author Mark R. Leary Psychology & Neuroscience