The article deals with the problem of the formation of the human personality in connection with the accelerated development of modern society. An overview of the researchers ' work on this problem is given. This includes the arguments and definitions of several scientists. The author emphasizes the importance of personal development and its main features, namely: consciousness, responsibility, freedom and dignity, and individuality. In the main part of the article, it is determined that the only way to become a person is the process of education, including the process of self-education. In particular, it describes the continuity of self-improvement with self-education, provides definitions of a number of researchers, data for self-education. It is also provided that self-education is the activity of a person in achieving the ideal image of a person. The last section reflects the methods of self-education as methods of developing personal qualities and says that they are implemented in accordance with the logic of sequence. Accordingly, the stages and role of each method in terms of self-education are described.