Sam Vaknin explores the concept of self-regulation, emphasizing that it primarily concerns controlling behavior rather than internal processes, and highlights its significance in goal attainment and impulse control. He critiques the traditional notion of the “self” in self-regulation, noting the fluidity of identity and the social context’s role, and discusses the challenges posed by impulse control disorders and emotional dysregulation, especially in conditions like borderline personality disorder. The talk also touches on the distinction between self-regulation and self-management, the biological basis of impulses, and behavioral therapy’s role in developing regulatory strategies.