"Just be yourself" is stupid advice

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Most people mean well when they say it.

“Just be yourself”

Post what feels natural.

Don’t overthink it.

It sounds freeing. It sounds honest. It also quietly keeps a lot of people stuck.

Because online, “just be yourself” usually translates to this:

Say whatever comes to mind.
Change opinions every week.
Post without direction.
Hope the right people magically understand you.

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That is not authenticity. That is randomness.

And randomness does not build trust.

The internet does not reward raw identity.
It rewards clear identity.

There is a difference.

Being yourself offline works because context fills in the gaps.
People see your tone, your history, your intent.
Online, none of that exists.

All people see is the output.

So when you show up differently every day, they do not think you are complex.
They think you are unclear.

Clarity beats authenticity when authenticity has no structure.

The creators who grow are not pretending to be someone else.
They are selecting which parts of themselves to make obvious.

That is intentional identity.

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They decide what they want to be known for.
They decide which beliefs they repeat.
They decide which problems they talk about again and again.

Not because it is fake.
Because repetition is how humans learn who to trust.

If someone followed you for thirty days, could they describe you in one sentence?

If not, that is the problem.

Most people hide behind “being themselves” because it removes responsibility.

If growth does not happen, it is not their fault.
That is just who they are.

But online presence is not personality.
It is positioning.

And positioning is a choice.

You do not owe the internet every thought you have.
You owe it a consistent signal.

This is why posting whatever feels right rarely works.
Feelings change faster than reputations do.

One day you are teaching.
The next day you are joking.
Then you are angry.
Then you are motivational.

None of these are wrong.
Together, they are confusing.

People follow clarity, not mood swings.

Being intentional does not mean being boring.
It means being recognizable.

When someone sees your name, they should expect something specific.

A way of thinking.
A tone.
A perspective.

That expectation is safety.
Safety turns into attention.
Attention turns into trust.

And trust compounds quietly.

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The best advice is not “just be yourself.”

It is this:

Decide which version of yourself is useful to others.
Then show up as that person consistently.

You can evolve later.
But you cannot skip clarity at the start.

Growth online is not about expressing everything.
It is about expressing the right things repeatedly.

That is not selling out.
That is respect for the reader.

And the irony is this.

Once you commit to a clear identity, you actually feel more free.
You stop guessing what to post.
You stop chasing reactions.
You stop explaining yourself.

You become easier to understand.

And in a world full of noise, being understood is the real advantage.

-Kevin