George Herbert Mead developed the social self theory, which posits that the self emerges from social interactions rather than being innate. According to Mead, language, play, and games allow individuals to take on roles and understand social expectations, developing the self over time. Mead's concepts of the "me" and the "I" distinguish between the socialized, past self ("me") and the present, identity-forming self ("I") that responds to social expectations. Charles Cooley further contributed the idea of the "looking glass self," where people derive self-images from how they believe others perceive and evaluate them.