The phrase "behave oneself" is correct and usable in written English.
It is typically used to instruct someone to conduct themselves in a proper or acceptable manner.
Example: "When you visit your grandparents, please remember to behave yourself."
Alternatives: "act appropriately" or "conduct yourself properly."
He added: "It was part of the avant-garde literary tradition that came out of the 20's -- that the writer was this genius in whose presence one behaved oneself, that a hush fell over the room.
Playing on the double meaning in French of the verb conduire which means to lead or drive, and se conduire which means to behave or conduct oneself, it follows Foucault's suggestion that power is all about the 'conduct of conducts'.
That is, how does one make wise and honourable choices, understand oneself, behave as a fully human being, treat others well, and acquire peace of mind?
Behavior: Dictionary definition: (a) the way a person behaves or conducts oneself, (b) the response of an individual, group, or species to its environment.
In this way, drunken behaviour can sometimes be wish-fulfilment, a way of giving oneself permission to behave differently; here, the spectrum is vast.
Being able to identify members of one's own cultural group quickly and efficiently may be important, in order to know whether one can trust a stranger as well as know whether one can afford to behave altruistically towards them or expect them to behave altruistically towards oneself.
My father spat something at my 12-year-old daughter over Xmas about being an atheist (inaccurate, among other things) — he is not nearly uneducated enough to behave this way and ironically HE is the one who modeled thinking for oneself so convincingly for me as I was growing up.
The great 12th Jewish scholar, Maimonides, said that one can never tell truly tell if a person has repented – including oneself – until they are in a similar situation again, but this time behave differently.
