This study analyzes the language learning narratives of 3 NNS foreign language teachers. It uses as a theoretical framework the L2 Motivational Self System (L2MSS) (Dörnyei, 2009) but adds the dimension of psychological reactance (Brehm, 1966). Our findings indicate that the L2MSS underestimates the relationship between "I" and "other," a distinction that is paramount in Self-Discrepancy Theory (Higgins, 1987). Specifically, the "I" dimension is strongly articulated in the ideal L2 self, whereas the "other" dimension is not. The inverse is true for the ought-to L2 self in which the "other" dimension is emphasized. These omissions underemphasize the importance of the interaction between the self and the context in forming language learning motivation. In addition, the findings indicate that the L2MSS framework needs further development in order to account for learners in a variety of settings, as opposed to primarily an English as a Foreign Language (EFL) environment. Consistent with recent claims about the types of contributions that language learning biographies/narratives can make to SLA research (Pavlenko, 2007), this study offers additional insights into how individual differences interact with contextual variables in language learning.