Self-competencies (personal competencies) are a hot topic. They are demanded by employees, promoted in learning environments, and systematized by various disciplines. However, there is a lack of an educational scientific foundation for the term and its empirical dimensions, which is important for understanding the significance of self-competencies in current debates about understanding and promoting competencies. Are self-competencies inherently beneficial, or do they often conceal a technique of discipline and optimization that disregards the subject? This study fills that gap: it includes the analysis, critique, and reconstruction of self-competencies (including readiness for action, responsibility, and flexibility). It situates the term historically and disciplinarily and is supported by empirical material from job profiles and interviews with individuals.