The Self as the Center of Narrative Gravity

Dennett proposes understanding the self as an organizing abstraction associated with narrative patterns, analogous to a center of gravity rather than an inner controlling object.

Dennett treats the self as an organizing abstraction associated with a person's narratives rather than a small inner object directing every event. A center of gravity is useful because it captures a pattern without being a separate material component. The comparison asks whether a self can be real in an analogous explanatory sense.

A narrative account does not make facts optional or imply that changing a sentence instantly changes a life. Bodies, relationships, habits, and commitments constrain the stories that remain credible. In reflection, examine a self-description as a selective interpretation and revise it only in ways the person endorses and can connect to action.

When to use it

Use when studying theories of self or reflecting on an overly rigid narrative that obscures relevant experiences and choices.

How it can help

Examine how self-descriptions organize evidence and action. Consider revisions that remain factually grounded and personally endorsed.