Why do we need to exploit roundabout techniques to control ourselves? "To understand how something workds, one has to know its purposes. [...] To understand what we call the Self, we must see what Selves are for. One function of the Self is to keep us from changing too rapidly."
Long-range planning is likened by Minsky to a stable self, to keeping new agents from undoing the worthwhile work of old -- just like not removing a block form the child's growing tower. This suggests that, in Minsky's view, the coherence of Self comes from striving towards the goals that are defined by self-ideals.
"Selves are practical necessities. They myths that say that Selves embody special kinds of liberty are merely masquerades. Part of tehir function is to hide from us the nature of our self-ideals -- the chains we forge to keep ourselves from wrecking all the plans we make."
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