7 Reasons Why You Should Always Be True to Yourself

Amy Taylor April 14, 2015

Being yourself is one of the best things you can do to be happy. We all grew up in a society wherein we are bound to act and behave on what other people think we should. As humans, we have this primal need to belong. We want to be accepted by everyone else, and to do that, we feel the need to follow the norm, and even please others. In short, we try to be like everyone else. And we do this even in the expense of our own happiness.

Why you should always be true to yourself

It sets you free. Not being yourself is like imprisoning yourself. As long as you are not doing anything wrong and that you are not hurting other people, go and fly as free as a bird, free from the social constructs that make us wear a mask every day.

You please yourself, rather than other people. Doing something to delight others is a great way to boost your self-esteem and gain supporters. But you can’t be truly happy if you live your life pleasing these people. It is never a selfish act to please yourself too, and really pursue your dreams and passion. After all, you are the centre of your universe.

Your happiness won’t rely on others anymore. Happiness is something you find and experience within you – not from meeting other people’s expectations. Remember that other people’s happiness comes and goes. It is not healthy to rely on them to be happy.

You become more attractive. There is something attractive and admirable on someone who doesn’t care what other people would think of him or her. We all have the one friend who we secretly admire for their carefree attitude, and we wish we have the courage to be like them. It is better to be liked and accepted for who you are, not for being someone you are not.

You attract the right people. A true friend is someone who supports your real aspirations in life, not someone who just like you when you conform to his or her expectations. Being real helps you find out who are the people who are true to you, and accept you for who you are.

You find direction in life. Being always conforming to other people’s expectations of you is one way to lose focus and sense of direction in life. You might find yourself one day clueless of what path to take, and most of all – unfulfilled of the path you chose. By staying true to who you are, you are able to focus on what direction to take in order for you to achieve your goals.

You become stronger. It really takes courage to decide on taking the path that is against what other people want for you. Most people would take the broad path because it is easy. Few people will take the risk to take the different path and stay true to themselves, and establish their own identity. And it really feels fulfilling once you are able to do it.

Pretending to be someone you are not does not really make you happy and proud of yourself. Even if the whole world is applauding for you, you are likely to feel empty at the end of the day. It can take courage (a lot of this sometimes) to remain true to yourself throughout the years, and pursue what you really want. Whether you want to travel the world and help others, write your own novel, perform, cook or teach – if you want to reach your full potential in life, you’ve got to start giving yourself the freedom to be yourself.