Self-contraint versus self-liberation

Abstract

Emphasizing liberation as well as constraint is necessary to gain a full understanding of self-management, which involves optimizing the individual’s personality. The notion of an impulsive self capable of strategic behavior is introduced and defended against objections to the contrary. An overly strong rule-oriented self can be detrimental to mental health and curtail creativity and spontaneity. In particular, self-discipline may in fact stimulate the impulsive self if the latter has influence over the former. Furthermore, markets and advertising can sometimes promote self-liberation with welfare-enhancing effects. These observations underscore the need to account for the well-being of the impulsive self when considering self-management interventions. – AI-generated abstract.