The article analyzes the current approaches to the understanding and definition of self-development of the personality. Revealed the erroneous approaches to understanding the essence of this phenomenon. They are caused by the lack of clear criteria for understanding this phenomenon. All proposed changes in personality may have a double-digit assessment. Thus, education, creativity, industry does not indicate clearly the perfection of self-development of the personality. They can live with imperfection of spiritual processes. They can be a tool of destruction of the individual, for example, be used to criminal activities, be companions ludomana life. And most importantly, the accumulation of knowledge is not an end in itself the individual life. Self-knowledge is also not an end in itself. Creativity, different skills – it is only a tool for creating novelty. But not all of the creation of man develops his personality. Not every change of inner peace, spiritual existence can be considered selfdevelopment. It is obvious that the term "self-development of the personality" should not reflect certain aspects of life. He refers to it in its entirety to reflect the change in its values. Also, it does not always have a reason for a person's own activity. Only freedom as the cause of the personality activity makes it possible to speak of the self-movement and self-development. Characteristic features of self-development of the personality offer to consider enrichment of life which is initiated by feeling of its incompleteness, as aspiration of enrichment and is manifestation of a personal freedom.