Everyone tells you to be yourself. But.. is that even possible? We act differently towards different people, situations and environments. For example, someone might be super loud in front of certain people & silent in front of others. Is this.. not being yourself? Well.. hmm.. that’s tricky. What's the reasoning? Are you quiet because you’re nervous, shy, hyperaware of your actions, or just because you don’t like those people? And are you loud because you’re joyous, angry or really enjoy being with the other ones? It depends on the person, of course. No one acts the same in every situation. There are definitely a lot of things that we do on our own that we wouldn’t do even in front of our most trusted and beloved people. So, what do people really mean by "just be yourself"? Don’t mimic people, right? Well, that’s also tricky. By being polite towards others in, say, work environments, aren’t we pretending (aka mimicking) to be polite? I understand that there are, obviously, a lot of people who are naturally polite, but I think most (if not all) of us tone down the politeness with people we enjoy being with. Wait, wait, wait, all I’ve mentioned is how you act towards others. How about in different environments? Maybe a different habitat. I’ve noticed that I, personally, seem to be more relaxed in colder environments, rather than hotter ones. Maybe the weather and humidity also influences your attitude and "persona". You might be more cranky in hotter/colder weather, or more relaxed in less/more humid ones. Take spas as an example. There are a lot of different types, of course, but let’s talk about one aspect. Saunas. They’re supposed to be hot, to relax you, right? So your attitude will be less tense, calmer and maybe even kinder. However, what if you were always in such a hot place? Heck no. You wouldn’t have the same attitude. Wait, I feel like I’m getting sidetracked, what does this have to do with being yourself? Well, I’m just saying, how can you really know when you’re being yourself? To me, I think the phrase "be yourself" really means "stop trying too hard to fit in". Like when you’re in a friend group, you might pretend to like certain things you don’t just to fit in. Or you might *want* to make friends, but you’re afraid of how you’re perceived so you end up an awkward, stuttering mess. So, in that case, "be yourself". Relax. Unclench. I’ve learned to, just, be as sarcastic, as stoic, as crazy, and as stupid as I am. I used to super anxious as to not offend anyone or, I don’t know, look "stupid"? Embarrassment is an illusion, much like "cringe". So, what we mean by "be yourself", is just learn to stop worrying about what others think. I don’t know if this is worded correctly, I feel like I didn’t get my points across in the way I wanted (it might be too confusing), but I really hope I did somehow. Might reflect on this and make it make more sense later. Sincerely, rae.
