A: This is discussed in the book, but I think a good thing to clarify is that the false self isn’t an error; it’s a developmental structure.
Human beings construct identity in early life to navigate a social world in order to belong, be recognized, avoid rejection, and organize behavior. That structure is functional; it allows children to become socially coherent adults.
So the issue isn’t that humans got off track in forming the false self; that part is working as designed. The arrest happens because the next stage, which involves moving beyond identification with that