# Be yourself **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 23, 2000, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/be-yourself/20254 "2000-05-23T03:51:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2000, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/be-yourself/20254/1 "2000-05-23T03:51:20Z")
You know, I’m not terribly popular… and when I bring this fact up, people tell me to be myself… that seems to be the whole problems. I’ve basically come to the conclusion that in the context of popularity, “Be yourself” means “Do not, in fact, be yourself. Be someone who will please us, but do so so seamlessly that we can’t tell.” I think I’ll be myself anyway and screw popularity. ---
**Author:** ![beefymeg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@beefymeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beefymeg)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2000, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/be-yourself/20254/2 "2000-05-23T14:29:23Z")
Be yourself. Like yourself. And have confidence in it. Sometimes the formula’s incomplete. ---
**Author:** ![psycat90](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@psycat90](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psycat90)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2000, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/be-yourself/20254/3 "2000-05-23T14:41:44Z")
I know that feeling all to well, matt. I think you have the right idea, too. screw 'em. Life is too short to try an please others. So, you know, just, umm, be yourself. The people who appreciate you for who you are when you aren’t even thinking about who you are, you know, the ones you can just bum around with, those are the ones that matter. Good for you for realizing it and thanks for bringing it to light. This little reminder is gonna make my last two weeks here at work cake. xoxo ---
**Author:** ![ReservoirDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8edcca/32.png) [@ReservoirDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ReservoirDog)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2000, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/be-yourself/20254/4 "2000-05-23T15:53:43Z")
I’ve been myself for years now, and it seems to work. Why don’t you be me for a while? I’ll just go and take a long nap. ---
**Author:** ![Demo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/demo/32/8472_2.png) [@Demo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Demo)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2000, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/be-yourself/20254/5 "2000-05-23T15:58:33Z")
_We_ like you, Matt! ---
**Author:** ![Falcon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/49beb7/32.png) [@Falcon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Falcon)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2000, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/be-yourself/20254/6 "2000-05-23T15:58:37Z")
“There’s only one thing I know how to do well And I’ve often been told that you should only do what you know how to do well And that’s be you Be what you’re like Be like yourself And so I’m having a wonderful time but I’d rather be whistling in the dark.” -They Might Be Giants Sorry, just seemed appropriate… 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Demo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/demo/32/8472_2.png) [@Demo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Demo)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2000, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/be-yourself/20254/7 "2000-05-23T16:01:58Z")
Hey, as of right before I post this, Falcon and I have _exactly_ the same number of posts… Cool!!! ---
**Author:** ![soulsling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a5b964/32.png) [@soulsling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/soulsling)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2000, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/be-yourself/20254/8 "2000-05-23T16:06:34Z")
being yourself and being happy with and accepting who you are work hand in hand. if you can let go of all your attachments about being yourself, then you’ll truly be BEING yourself. You may just be trying to hard to be who you think you should be… don’t worry about it though, if you are being yourself and you find yourself sorrounded by jerks that don’t like you, sourround yourself with jerks who do. Not everyone can get along, chemistry just doesn’t work that way. I’ve met people who i thought were totally cool, but i couldn’t hang out with them becuase i just couldn’t stand being around them, for no reason at all other than it just didn’t feel right, and i found myself angry at these people for no reason… so i stopped hanging out around them, and every once in a while acqauintance with them seems to be fine. ---
**Author:** ![Show\_Biz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/77aa72/32.png) [@Show\_Biz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Show_Biz)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2000, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/be-yourself/20254/9 "2000-05-23T16:11:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*\* > “Be yourself” means “Do not, in fact, be yourself. Be someone who will please us, but do so so seamlessly that we can’t tell.” > \*\* This is the key to a stage career. (Ignore Shakespeare’s advice “to thyne own self be true”, he was just the _writer_ )