Are you truly yourself at all times?

Question

Or do you do only what people expect of you, in fear of what they think.

You can anything if you set your mind to it. You only live once. Why live with shackles the entire time?

They say you don't truly know yourself until you're in a fight. A situation of high pressure. Of natural instinct. Innate reaction.

Answer 1

Yes I am. I don't care what anyone else thinks or feels. It is I who has to live with myself and so I will do what I feel is best for me.

Now that doesn't mean I am selfish. I feel that it is best for me to give to charities to help other people and to live a reasonably moral life (drugs, sex and rock and roll aside). But I will never act in a way that I am not comfortable with just to suit someone else. We only have one life after all.

Answer 2

That is a very good question.
We all wear masks in public(not literally)because we want others
to think well of us,or at least not think too badly. There is an old
Chinese saying that we all have four faces. The first we show to
the world,the second we show to our friends,the third to our family
and the fourth is shown to noone.

I've reached the point in my life where the opinion of others means less than it did when I was young,but I'm still not free to
say what I really think at times. If I did,I would probably lose my
job as well as cause some tension with family and friends. None
of us is free to be completely honest. As far as actions go,these
days outside of work I do pretty much as I want-most of the time.

Answer 3

Good question. And are we so conditioned that we aren't even sure who the real us is? I guess with me, it comes down to basic love or absence thereof. Do I want to show people that I love (have respect and goodwill for) them, or that I don't care? I guess I am the eternal diplomat, and I don't want others to feel uncomfortable. Not because of what they think, but because that is who I am- I feel that everyone deserves to feel good. However, that doesn't mean that I won't speak my mind if I disagree with someone. Life is too short not to make your needs or your views on something that affects you or others be known, right? At the appropriate time and place.
Sure, sometimes I smile when I don't feel like it in business, and I pretend to be glad to see someone when I feel lukewarm about them. But sometimes you have to do that to scare away your inner-grouch (the unsociable you that would just as soon see you alienate all your friends). If you are young, you will see it will get easier to be yourself as you get older. Follow good sense, good judgment, and good values- and be true to yourself within that framework. It will become easier. And buck the system when you have to. There will be times when it is necessary.

Answer 4

This supposes that we know who our self is? and we don't, there are many aspects of self that is hidden or unconscious to our awareness. for instance, we don't know exactly how we would act in the face of great stress or disaster, we may think we know...but we could be surprised. Other people may influence to act in different ways than we might want to and this isn't nesessarily bad. The best we can do is keep checking our internal self and be true to what we feel at any given moment in time.

Answer 5

I think, if we are being honest here, that upon occasion, we all wear a different 'hat', now and then!

Not only out of fear, but for many reasons.
We, must meet and greet the public, or friends, and we are not up to snuff, so we put on our smiling face.
Also, out of respect for someone, or something, we really don't comprehend, like other religious views.

The list can go on and on, but, you get the general drift of things.
I think, its quite permissible, and even admirable, so long as we don't give up, who we are!

Answer 6

no because I (we all) live in fear.
of breaking a law
being outcast
distancing from some one we love or loves us
hurting peoples feeling
etc, etc

There is a fine line between fear and respect when you consider acting a certain way, will it hurt me? my family? fear of loosing something.

So, no we dont know ourselves because we have never reached that point where we are confortable and at peace, because we are always at a constant war within, but the question could be who are you not trying to be?????

Answer 7

I am truely myself at all times...yes I can say that confidently...but "me" is a combination of a naughty small girl, a tough big girl and an intellectual being...my behaviour is governed by my moods...which are a reflection of "me"...so I might seem as different people to some, but those who know me well...say I'm myself all the time....

Answer 8

I'm not afraid or what people will think to each his/ her own. If you live in fear of what people will think or say then you might as well crawl into a hole and never see the light of reason again.

Answer 9

No one is truly themselves at all times. Dont you think sometimes that its hard to define who you really are? Wouldnt you be a different person if people didnt expect certain things from you? Everyone does this whether they are aware of it or not. Who are you really? Are you an independent soul or just a reflection of your enviornment?

Answer 10

most of the times