Woolgathering: What most people call their “self” is, for the most part, a bundle of different moods, impulses, and roles fighting for control. “I decided” usually means “one impulse temporarily won.”

If this sounds preposterous, spend some time in honest “self-observation”. I’m betting you find a constellation of “selves” rather a self.

The “self” you experience when hearing a nostalgic song, for example, can be very different from the “self” that you experience after stubbing your toe or getting cut off in traffic. Often dramatically different.