--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Why should we always try to be true to…" description: "\"“Why should we always try to be true to our natural selves? What if our natural selves are assholes? Stalin was true to himself”\" — A.J. Jacobs" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c6/a-j-jacobs-11588_natural-selves_why-should-we-always-try-to-be-true-to-o_1454352.png" --- # Why should we always try to be true to our natural selves?… ![“Why should we always try to be true to our natural selves? What if our natural selves are assholes? Stalin was true to himself” quote by A.J. Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c6/a-j-jacobs-11588_natural-selves_why-should-we-always-try-to-be-true-to-o_1454352.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c6/a-j-jacobs-11588_natural-selves_why-should-we-always-try-to-be-true-to-o_1454352.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c6/a-j-jacobs-11588_natural-selves_why-should-we-always-try-to-be-true-to-o_1454352.png) > ““Why should we always try to be true to our natural selves? What if our natural selves are assholes? Stalin was true to himself”” [A.J. Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-j-jacobs/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Questioning authenticity when personal flaws conflict with self‑acceptance; examining whether being true to a problematic nature is wise. **In simple terms:** Being honest about yourself can be hard if you’re not a good person. Key Takeaway Reflect on how to improve your character. Themes authenticity self‑acceptance morality Mood thoughtful critical introspective Type philosophical ethical When to use this quote - personal relationships - career decisions - leadership - mental health Key Concepts ethical philosophy psychology self‑improvement Questions to Reflect On - What values guide you beyond your natural impulses? - How can you align honesty with growth? A Different Perspective True authenticity may enable harmful behavior if not tempered. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Related quotes > [We need to be our natural selves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jagapathi-babu/we-need-to-be-our-natural-selves/) [Jagapathi Babu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jagapathi-babu/) ## More by A.J. Jacobs > [“To properly engage in magical thinking, I find you have to think of every possible ghastly scenario. That's the only way you outsmart fate.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-j-jacobs/to-properly-engage-in-magical-thinking-i-find-you-have-to-think-of/) [A.J. Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-j-jacobs/) > [“There is no better time in history to be an idiot than right now.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-j-jacobs/there-is-no-better-time-in-history-to-be-an-idiot-than-right-now/) [A.J. Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-j-jacobs/) > [“I was smart enough to know that I shouldn't tell anyone the reason I needed that icy air. No need to spill the secret…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-j-jacobs/i-was-smart-enough-to-know-that-i-shouldn-t-tell-anyone-the-reason-i/) [A.J. Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-j-jacobs/) > [“I'm hungry enough that I started to salivate at the sight of lettuce. I repeat: lettuce.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-j-jacobs/i-m-hungry-enough-that-i-started-to-salivate-at-the-sight-of-lettuce/) [A.J. Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-j-jacobs/) > [“When I get it home and start to read it, the first thing I notice is that Warren has copyrighted the phrase “Purpose-driven.” It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-j-jacobs/when-i-get-it-home-and-start-to-read-it-the-first-thing-i-notice-is/) [A.J. Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-j-jacobs/) > [“How do you gag the voice in your head that says, 'You don't have to go to the gym today. There's always tomorrow. C'mon,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-j-jacobs/how-do-you-gag-the-voice-in-your-head-that-says-you-don-t-have-to-go/) [A.J. Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-j-jacobs/) > [“Back to the books. The world’s largest bell was built in 1733 in Moscow, and weighed in at more than four hundred thousand pounds.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-j-jacobs/back-to-the-books-the-world-s-largest-bell-was-built-in-1733-in/) [A.J. Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-j-jacobs/) > [“If the Britannica has taught me anything, it's to be more careful. I don't want to turn into an unseemly noun or verb or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-j-jacobs/if-the-britannica-has-taught-me-anything-it-s-to-be-more-careful-i/) [A.J. Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-j-jacobs/) > [“That's what I've noticed in my experiments: almost everything in life is a self-fulfilling prophecy .Probably even believing in self-fulfilling prophecies is a self-fulfilling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-j-jacobs/that-s-what-i-ve-noticed-in-my-experiments-almost-everything-in-life/) [A.J. Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-j-jacobs/) > [“Mr. Berkowitz clicks open his black American Tourister rolling suitcase. Inside, his tools: a microscope, an old canister with the faded label “vegetable flakes,”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-j-jacobs/mr-berkowitz-clicks-open-his-black-american-tourister-rolling/) [A.J. Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-j-jacobs/) > [“What seems terrible at first may turn out to be a great thing. You can't predict.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-j-jacobs/what-seems-terrible-at-first-may-turn-out-to-be-a-great-thing-you-can/) [A.J. Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-j-jacobs/) > [“Maybe taming my tongue will be good for me in the end. But it's pretty hard when you've got a world filled with idiots…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-j-jacobs/maybe-taming-my-tongue-will-be-good-for-me-in-the-end-but-it-s-pretty/) [A.J. Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-j-jacobs/) > [“I don't think I'm in the position to bestow legitimacy on anyone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-j-jacobs/i-don-t-think-i-m-in-the-position-to-bestow-legitimacy-on-anyone/) [A.J. Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-j-jacobs/) > [“The literal Greek translation is “school for naked exercise.” Which made toweling off the stationary bike even more important.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-j-jacobs/the-literal-greek-translation-is-school-for-naked-exercise-which-made/) [A.J. Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-j-jacobs/) > [“The Bible is right: A deluge of images does encourage idolatry. Look at the cults of personality in America today. Look at Hollywood. Look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-j-jacobs/the-bible-is-right-a-deluge-of-images-does-encourage-idolatry-look-at/) [A.J. Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-j-jacobs/) [Explore all 58 A.J. Jacobs quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-j-jacobs/) ## More Natural Selves quotes > [We need to be our natural selves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jagapathi-babu/we-need-to-be-our-natural-selves/) [Jagapathi Babu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jagapathi-babu/) Browse all 2 Natural Selves quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Why should we always try to be true to our natural selves? What if our natural selves are assholes? Stalin was true to himself”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "A.J. 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