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Is Being Genuine and True to Yourself Really All That Important?
Both in the now and the long run, being genuine and true to yourself matters tremendously.
How do you react when you encounter someone who is a fake?
I’m not writing about someone you later learn is a fake. I mean, right from the outset. They put on airs, they seem confident not quite to the point of arrogance — but nearly so — and they come across as not quite right, slightly off, overwrought, and maybe trying too hard.
If you’re like me, you treat them with kid gloves and keep them at a bit of a distance. Maybe, in time, you get to know them — but not likely until you can see that they are fake because of insecurity, or a need for self-protection of one stripe or another.
But this is why being genuine and true to yourself is so important. Because when you are, it becomes both easier to work on your stuff as well as to relate to other people.
Doesn’t that make me vulnerable?
Arguably, being genuine and true to yourself can open you to being more vulnerable. Perhaps, because you are being you, it does make it easier for others to take pokes at you, prod you, and get under your skin.