"Who is speaking?" "Who is acting?" "Who is the author of this story?" The answer is never a static object, but a dynamic subject caught in a web of relations.

This tripartite definition emphasizes that self-esteem is not just about the individual; it is mediated by our ethical evaluations of our actions toward others. We see ourselves an "other" because we are responsible to those around us. 4. The Conceptual Framework of Action

Next, he asks: Who is doing the acting? Ricoeur explores how we attribute actions to ourselves. Even when we act out of character or act involuntarily, we are still the ones to whom the action is "imputed."