Janus-Faced

The 'I' is Janus-faced, actually two 'I's facing in opposite directions, one forward, the other backward. The prospective one is the I of Motility, the retrospective one, the I of Reflection. They are systematically linked in self-consciousness, e. g. in aesthesia, when one is aware of what one has been doing. That is "has been doing", not "is doing", because what is reflected-upon has to already be there in order for awareness of it to be possible. That is why Reflection is essentially retrospective. Furthermore, that is why Motility of the present always eludes present Reflection--the awareness of it must be subsequent. Hence, the two 'I's are irreducible to one another, despite the numerous efforts throughout history to arrive at a unitary I. Instead, they co-exist in constant tension, as is manifest in the conflicting psychological drives, on the one hand, to achieve closure, but on the other, to generate novelty. And, two pervasive primary psychological dysfunctions are manifestations of conflations of the two--the desire to change the past, i. e. retrospective Motility, and resignation, i. e. prospective Reflection. The achievement of psychological health depends on the effective coordination of these two opposite-directed drives.