The Positivity of Being Your Truest Self Isn’t Easy

But it’s totally worth it — because you are worth it.

Photo by Bart LaRue on Unsplash

Are you your genuine self?

Maybe, like me, you’ve worn different masks in various situations. This was the “self” you presented to specific audiences, for diverse reasons.

One mask at work, one at school, one for friends, one for family, one in private, one in public. Group ‘X’ of people you spend time with get one mask, while group ‘Y’ gets another.

There’s nothing evil, dishonest, or deceitful in this practice. You most likely do this to maximize your acceptance by the people seeing you in that way.

It’s part of the human condition to be accepted by peers of various stripes. When you are rejected, you risk loneliness, sadness, and suffering. A worse fear is your overall survival. Even the most introverted people still might present different selves to different groups.

However, putting on different identities for particular groups can be exhausting. You’re not lying or being a fraud in any malicious sense. But when you’re not your truest self, you’re not wholly you. And that can tax your psyche in lots of ways.

I did this for a long time. I’d show myself one way to my friends, another way to my coworkers, yet…