Authenticity is the new currency.
I was having a chat with a good friend the other night, and one of the topics we wound up discussing was the fact that we still knew people who played the dual personality game. Not just the two-faced types who change their story from day to day (and not those genuinely afflicted with multiple personality disorders)—we were including those who might portray themselves online in one way but were COMPLETELY DIFFERENT in real life. I was surprised, but there’s still people doing it!
YOU NEED TO STOP.
Once upon a time, this was the way the Internet worked. You were identified by your screen name, and people would associate you with whatever identity you’d constructed for yourself. You could reinvent yourself in any way you wanted, and no one would be the wiser unless they knew you in person—even then, the duality wouldn’t be frowned upon, since that’s just the way it was!
But then came the social networks.
With the introduction of Facebook and Twitter to the masses, everything changed. More and more, our Internet usage was being shaped to be an accurate reflection of our offline lives, laying ourselves bare for the world to see. We know better who shares the same interests as us, who we know mutually, etc., etc.
So then, I wonder—what’s the point of being inauthentic?
I can see some reasons why someone might cling to a second invented personality:
- feelings of inadequacy about one’s personality, causing one to use a second personality as a crutch;
* having ulterior motives, hiding behind a second personality in a smoke and mirrors-type approach;
* or perhaps one personality just feels better suited to one environment and not as much to other situations
Whatever the reason, here are some reasons WHY you should be consistent with the picture you paint of yourself:
- people know what to expect when they first meet you, inspiring more trust and openness to your character
* you don’t have to deal with embarassing situations when your “worlds collide”, exposing people to information you may not have wanted them to know about you
* by showing people the real you, it gives you a better opportunity for growth, since you learn the lessons from how you interact with people the way you’re MEANT to be
So wake up! Take a good look at yourself in the mirror. Figure out who you are and be THAT PERSON.
Because the world’s already overpopulated as it is.