Selves is the plural form of self, used when talking about more than one person's individual identity or personality. When you look in a mirror, you see yourself, but when a group of people each look in mirrors, they see themselves.

The word appears most often in phrases like “be yourselves” or “express themselves.” A teacher might tell students to “be yourselves” during presentations, meaning each person should act naturally rather than pretending to be someone they're not. When friends feel comfortable enough to show their true selves around each other, they don't have to put on an act or hide parts of their personality.

People also talk about different aspects of a single person as different selves. You might have a “school self” who focuses and follows rules, and a “weekend self” who relaxes and plays. A shy student might discover their braver self when standing up for a friend. These aren't actually different people, but different parts of one personality that emerge in different situations.

The phrase “our better selves” refers to acting according to our highest values and ideals, like when teammates encourage each other to show their better selves by staying positive even when losing.