In this article we propose to advance our understanding of dialogical self dynamics by focusing on the experience of time. In order to do so, we treat the dynamics of I-positions as semiotic processes. We focus on an event that threatens the sense of time and causes uncertainty – World War II in England, examined through a case study of a young woman. We show how social and personal time markers normally establish a sense of continuity. Facing ruptures, a person can use further social means to reduce uncertainty – yet these carry normative expectations for I-positions. More personal uses of symbolic resources can also restore a connection to past I-positions, construct present ones, and create alternative future I-positions; they can also create alternative temporalities that enable to isolate or protect vulnerable I-positions.
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