Regarding Ch. 4 of Rowlands: could another of the theories be that outside influences reinforce your sense of "you" [i.e. "you" isn't found intrinsically in our brain/soul/memory but in the reinforcation (is that a word?) of people recognizing "you" as "you" by reoccurently calling you your name and commenting on your likes, etc.]? What I mean is, do we fit what we think we are supposed to fit? Do we become (unconciously) what we sense (unconciously) from others? Are others and their voiced recognition/thoughts/feelings about us what keeps us "the same"? If people call me "Emily" enough times do I become "Emily"? Are outside "reinfocations" (influences by people) the reason "you" stay "you"?

Maybe this is all just a small part of the larger memory theory--that you remember people calling you "Emily" and that's why you're the "Emily" that you are? I know it's not just the people calling you a certain name repeatedly that would reinforce "you" . . . but let's say you tell Sally one day that you like carrots. Maybe a month or so later you kinda forgot that you said that (am I the only one that has done this?) and when Sally gives you carrots for your birthday, you give her a funny look and she gives you a funny look back "You said you loved carrots . . ." Sally says. "Oh . . . I said that?" you say. "Yes," says Sally.

While this won't (hopefully) make you doubt everything you've ever known, perhaps the carrot incidence may make you think twice about yourself. "Am I who I was? Am I still me? What do I like to eat?" Perhaps Sally had a hand in reinforcing the "you" that you were and are as you remember "Hey, these orangey sticks are little bites of heaven!"

Is this plausible? Can outsiders be responsible (at least in part) for our retention of ourselves? I admit I could be way out on this one . . .