yourself

The inner you

You use yourself as the object of a verb or preposition to refer a second time to the person you are addressing, or to people in general: Did you injure yourself playing football? Always give yourself extra time for the Friday commute.

Yourself and other pronouns that end in –self and –selves are called reflexives because they indicate that the action of a verb is reflected back at the subject of the sentence.

identity

persona

Assumed public identity

egoOne's self-image
psycheTotal mental life
characterNature, symbol, or role

personality · essence · being · soul · nature · individuality · uniqueness · distinctiveness · originality · authenticity

introspection

soul-searching

Probing one's innermost feelings

contemplationSustained reflective attention
meditationFocused attention practice
mindfulnessAwareness of the present

inner dialogue · looking inward · personal growth

autonomy

independence

Freedom from external control

agencyPower to act
empowermentGaining authority or confidence
free willAutonomous choice capacity

personal responsibility · decision-making · choice · volition · personal agency · sovereignty

Categories

pronounsI, me, him, he, my
second personyou, thou, thee, thy, thine
reflexivesthemself, reflexive pronoun, reflexives
archaic Englishthou, thee, thy, thine, ye
reflexesreflex, reflexes, reflex action, reflex response, quick reflexes
possessivesmy, mine, his, her, hers

Opposites

identity/person reference

yourselfsomeone else

Any other individual

myself · others · other people · himself · herself

individuality vs. collectivity

yourselfyourselves

Plural reflexive pronoun

all of you · everyone · everybody · we · us

Phrases

help yourselfTake what you want
be yourselfEmbrace your authenticity
make yourself at homeInvitation to relax here
suit yourselfDismissive concession to another
take care of yourselfParting wish for health
do it yourselfComplete tasks independently

Family

Familiarity: Top 250
Profile: Known to kids · Used worldwide · Timeless · Abstract · Everyday, not technical · Rated G