I was pondering a similar point the other day from a slightly different angle.  That was, as a leader in business, do I really present the true me.  I often feel that I need to "put on a show" because the team expect from me to behave in a particular way.  By leading a large team, I find I have to be really careful of what I say because (especially the junior team members) take everything I say with such power.

So if I am not always myself at work, am I myself anywhere?

It made me think (and I am going to write a post on this) that we play different roles in life where we present slightly different versions of ourselves.  For example, when I am with my kids, I behave very different to when I am at work.

Social media is therefore a great example where people tailor the behaviour for a specific reaction and because the reasons for that are largely superficial we get a very skewed view of someone.

I actually believe though that Hive is somewhere where I can really be myself as I feel I can say things, express my view where perhaps I am more guarded in other situations because of the role I am  playing.

You had me at that first quote. I love Marcus Aurelius. Meditations is one of my favorite books and I have gone through it multiple times. So much wisdom in there. 

> I believe society to be very superficial, generally speaking - much more so than in previous times - and so many people struggle to feel relevant unless they look cool, have the latest thing, do the most awesome things, go to the best places and be seen to have an amazing life...how satisfying is that? Superficially, there's some satisfaction I guess...but if it's not real, I'd say it's not all that satisfying, just depressing, no matter what is presented outwardly.

I agree. I think this is a big reason why worldwide depression is increasing. People are unhappy in the modern world, but they don't understand how to fix it, so they give into all these addictions—like social media and the desire to pretend to be someone we are not, as you talk about—to feel better, but these things almost always have the opposite effect. 

I'd like to think here on Hive the people who have been here for a few years are pretty honest. The ones who come here just for easy money burn out really quickly and disappear before they even hit 1 year. But that is probably a simplistic view. 

I have always felt exactly the same way. Everyone has issues whether they are influencers, "models", famous, or every day Joe Bloggs. We all have times of happiness and times of sadness. The choice is there to be authentic or to only show a superficial slant of who you are and sure, I can understand that you don't want to splurge out every depressing aspect of your life, but to try persuade people that life is absolutely perfect all the time, well it's BS. This is why celebrities all seem fine and then have these insane moments or scandals or go off the rails completely - I think a lot of them can't handle having to live that façade continuously and it breeds discontent. 

Authenticity comes at a price though - not everyone is going to like you, but if you like yourself, well who really cares what those people think? That's my take on it anyhow. Great post.   

I wrote about the way people are diving into body modifications just because they want the society to accept them even to the detriment of themselves.

Getting people to like that fake life we post out there won't make a difference in reality and people slowly lose the value they hold while engaging in that act.

We can't be perfect, everyone can't be handsome or curvy, and accepting ourselves first is the only way we can get others to accept us as well. I should be known for who I am, and it is left for whoever wants to like me to do that for who I am.

He and his community friends torture people and bullied 

Thank you, Galen, for this example of Marcus Aurelius... it confirms to me once more that we are the observer, it is an inner work!!! Even though it is so difficult to find happiness within oneself, it is a choice that makes me free, to be determined since no one is responsible for who is not...

Looking for those responsible outside of me is like turning around a maze with few exits. So it's better to accept yourself and if I'm in emotional balance I get my own gifts

Wow

Dear @galenkp why are you downvoting my posts. What is my crime now. I am trying to make a high quality video every day and try to increase engage.I always try to preserve the beauty of nature. Try to remove polluted garbage from nature.Still why this downvote. When people commit crimes, there is a way out, there is an appeal.Please tell me how to get rid of this downvote?

It is true that today's society has a tendency to be superficial, and many people seek to present themselves in an attractive way on social networks. However, I think it is important to remember the importance of being authentic and accepting oneself, as this is what gives us true satisfaction and allows us to connect with others in a genuine way. It's easy to be tempted to present ourselves as someone other than who we really are, especially with the pressure to have a perfect life on social media, but ultimately, true happiness and acceptance comes from ourselves and not from external approval. In conclusion, I think it is important to be true to yourself and not be afraid to be authentic on social media and in real life.

I fully agree!
Being yourself is important, just as it is important to like yourself for who you are and, if we don't like something about us, commit ourselves to really improve it and not simply by showing realities on social media that are not true.

I believe that if the world is a little more superficial today it is also the fault of social media that once did not exist; we try to emulate wrong models and, as you say, many times we don't realize that some influencers show themselves in certain ways because they make money... I think it's legitimate of course.

However, I think that as it is the right of influencers to earn on certain things, it is the duty of users to inform themselves and understand who is really in front of them, because often it is all fiction, as they say... all that glitters is not gold!

What you have described is very common here, we now have internet role models who only flaunt wealth without a reasonable source of wealth to show for it, this makes young ones put themself under unnecessary pressure to immerse wealth, and in the real sense of things, some of the so-called role models do not even have half of what they claim to have. If only we can be true to ourselves, love, and push ourselves to what we believe, then it would be better.

Social media influencers do the craziest thing just to be trending and have a vested interest. As I grew older, I realized that I do not need others’ validation to be happy. I love to grow in private and view myself as valuable with a humble heart. The key is to be real humans with valid emotions. Perhaps I strongly agree with your great reflections, Sir.

By the way, I wonder about what you are making about following people on Hive. Surely it would be very interesting. Thanks for today’s wonderful reflection about being true to ourselves. 

Great words. Also in Hive - people will find each other by real interests.