--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Many modern gurus encourage us to ‘be…" description: "\"“Many modern gurus encourage us to ‘be ourselves’. Perhaps it has not occurred to them that we can only ever be ourselves – nothing more, nothing less...." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/718/giannis-delimitsos-38279_be-yourself_many-modern-gurus-encourage-us-to-be-our_440679.jpg" --- # Many modern gurus encourage us to ‘be ourselves’. Perhaps… ![“Many modern gurus encourage us to ‘be ourselves’. Perhaps it has not occurred to them that we can only ever be ourselves – nothing more, nothing less.” quote by Giannis Delimitsos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/718/giannis-delimitsos-38279_be-yourself_many-modern-gurus-encourage-us-to-be-our_440679.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/718/giannis-delimitsos-38279_be-yourself_many-modern-gurus-encourage-us-to-be-our_440679.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/718/giannis-delimitsos-38279_be-yourself_many-modern-gurus-encourage-us-to-be-our_440679.jpg) > ““Many modern gurus encourage us to ‘be ourselves’. Perhaps it has not occurred to them that we can only ever be ourselves – nothing more, nothing less.”” [Giannis Delimitsos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giannis-delimitsos/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The advice to “be yourself” ignores that identity is fixed; it offers no guidance for growth or change. **In simple terms:** Being yourself is static, not a goal. Key Takeaway Seek growth beyond static self‑identification. Themes identity self‑improvement authenticity Mood thoughtful inquisitive Type philosophical advice When to use this quote - personal development - coaching - creative work - relationships Key Concepts psychology philosophy Questions to Reflect On - What aspects of yourself can you still develop? - How does fixed identity affect your goals? A Different Perspective Assuming a fixed self can limit potential. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Be yourself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/be-yourself/) [Counselor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/counselor/) [Encourage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/encourage/) [Encourage Occurred](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/encourage-occurred-3865749/) [Guru](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guru/) [Gurus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gurus/) [Gurus Encourage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gurus-encourage-3865748/) [Mentors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mentors/) [Modern Gurus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/modern-gurus-2967094/) [Person](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/person/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) [Selfhood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/selfhood/) [Spiritual-teacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spiritual-teacher/) ## Related quotes > [The unlimited power that many modern gurus offer is false hope. Their programs calling us to unlimited power have made them rich, not us.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bradshaw/the-unlimited-power-that-many-modern-gurus-offer-is-false-hope-their/) [John Bradshaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bradshaw/) > [I've never been uncomfortable with the host of modern gurus, and gurus of different motivations I should say, or different intentions. You know, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-tiwari/i-ve-never-been-uncomfortable-with-the-host-of-modern-gurus-and-gurus/) [Maya Tiwari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-tiwari/) > [“When I arrive to a new place, it is no longer the place it was before my arrival. And I am not the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giannis-delimitsos/when-i-arrive-to-a-new-place-it-is-no-longer-the-place-it-was-before/) [Giannis Delimitsos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giannis-delimitsos/) > [“Love, the phenomenal act of canceling self in favor of the very same self.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giannis-delimitsos/love-the-phenomenal-act-of-canceling-self-in-favor-of-the-very-same/) [Giannis Delimitsos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giannis-delimitsos/) > [Following all the rules leaves a completed checklist. Following your heart achieves a completed you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/following-all-the-rules-leaves-a-completed-checklist-following-your/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Find your "self-culture" is hero's work. I liken it to the journey of a warrior who is preparing for battle. There is no violence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-lorient-faibish/find-your-self-culture-is-hero-s-work-i-liken-it-to-the-journey-of-a/) [Victoria Lorient-Faibish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-lorient-faibish/) > [“The burden of selfhood,” she sighed. “Life-long anguish. Straining to support an elaborate artifice every waking moment. Trying to maintain our bullshit personas. Haircuts,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-baker/the-burden-of-selfhood-she-sighed-life-long-anguish-straining-to/) [Adam Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-baker/) > [“the struggle is not with others, but within us, to do what we are called to do”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-j-geddes/the-struggle-is-not-with-others-but-within-us-to-do-what-we-are/) [john j geddes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-j-geddes/) > [“She did not care what some pampered citizens thought of her. She knew her worth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-morris/she-did-not-care-what-some-pampered-citizens-thought-of-her-she-knew/) [Lucy Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-morris/) > [“Once he said to her: 'You are like me; you are different from other people. You are Kamala and no one else, and within…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-hesse/once-he-said-to-her-you-are-like-me-you-are-different-from-other/) [Herman Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-hesse/) > [“All my life, I've been trying to fill an emptiness inside. But that emptiness...I've built myself around it. Filling it in would be like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blake-charlton/all-my-life-i-ve-been-trying-to-fill-an-emptiness-inside-but-that/) [Blake Charlton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blake-charlton/) > [“Everyone knows the experience of encountering other persons only under the aspect of how they intersect with our projects, and of noticing them only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-crosby/everyone-knows-the-experience-of-encountering-other-persons-only/) [John F. Crosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-crosby/) > [“When you’re here, an i in the Ocean, you’re no longer waiting for something to happen or to change. When you’re here you have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-pierre-weill/when-you-re-here-an-i-in-the-ocean-you-re-no-longer-waiting-for/) [Jean-Pierre Weill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-pierre-weill/) > [“Don't think about it; FEEL about it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tehya-sky/don-t-think-about-it-feel-about-it/) [Tehya Sky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tehya-sky/) > [“The simplicity of life is universal. Mother Nature is a wonderful teacher.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-leasock/the-simplicity-of-life-is-universal-mother-nature-is-a-wonderful/) [Steve Leasock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-leasock/) ## More by Giannis Delimitsos > [“When I arrive to a new place, it is no longer the place it was before my arrival. And I am not the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giannis-delimitsos/when-i-arrive-to-a-new-place-it-is-no-longer-the-place-it-was-before/) [Giannis Delimitsos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giannis-delimitsos/) > [“She who believes that science will inescapably solve humanity’s oldest problems and radically change the human lot in this world is the one who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giannis-delimitsos/she-who-believes-that-science-will-inescapably-solve-humanity-s/) [Giannis Delimitsos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giannis-delimitsos/) > [“Homo Defessus – Never before in human history has so many people considered their everyday tiredness (because they are so busy and have so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giannis-delimitsos/homo-defessus-never-before-in-human-history-has-so-many-people/) [Giannis Delimitsos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giannis-delimitsos/) > [“Ernest Hemingway wrote that happiness in intelligent people is the rarest thing. However, if we are intelligent yet unhappy, then perhaps we are not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giannis-delimitsos/ernest-hemingway-wrote-that-happiness-in-intelligent-people-is-the/) [Giannis Delimitsos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giannis-delimitsos/) > [“Love, the phenomenal act of canceling self in favor of the very same self.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giannis-delimitsos/love-the-phenomenal-act-of-canceling-self-in-favor-of-the-very-same/) [Giannis Delimitsos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giannis-delimitsos/) > [“Never be disappointed and never lose your hope and fortitude when all that you see around is only shadows. Because if there are shadows, there must also be sources of light…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giannis-delimitsos/never-be-disappointed-and-never-lose-your-hope-and-fortitude-when-all/) [Giannis Delimitsos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giannis-delimitsos/) > [“If you wish to know things better and understand their workings more profoundly, make sure that you keep yourself at a certain distance from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giannis-delimitsos/if-you-wish-to-know-things-better-and-understand-their-workings-more/) [Giannis Delimitsos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giannis-delimitsos/) > [“A pleasing paradox — The more frequently we contemplate our death, the less dominant its effect in our lives becomes. Like King Mithridates, who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giannis-delimitsos/a-pleasing-paradox-the-more-frequently-we-contemplate-our-death-the/) [Giannis Delimitsos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giannis-delimitsos/) > [“Idol worship” is so deeply ingrained in the human brain synapses that it would be almost impossible to be bereft of it. And in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giannis-delimitsos/idol-worship-is-so-deeply-ingrained-in-the-human-brain-synapses-that/) [Giannis Delimitsos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giannis-delimitsos/) > [“The Buddha promised redemption after thousands of deaths and rebirths, after millennia of suffering. Epicurus promised the end of all striving with a momentary,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giannis-delimitsos/the-buddha-promised-redemption-after-thousands-of-deaths-and-rebirths/) [Giannis Delimitsos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giannis-delimitsos/) > [“By speaking with courtesy and respect, you are offering a wonderful gift to yourself, a useful embarrassment to the unkind, and a good example…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giannis-delimitsos/by-speaking-with-courtesy-and-respect-you-are-offering-a-wonderful/) [Giannis Delimitsos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giannis-delimitsos/) [Explore all 12 Giannis Delimitsos quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giannis-delimitsos/) ## More Be yourself quotes > [Be proud of who you are & who you represent.You are unique, there is no other exactly like you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhishek-tiwari/be-proud-of-who-you-are-who-you-represent-you-are-unique-there-is-no/) [Abhishek Tiwari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhishek-tiwari/) > [Make-up can't cover up an ugly personality!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/make-up-can-t-cover-up-an-ugly-personality/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I does wat I does](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-does-wat-i-does/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Change nothing, just be yourself to experience peace.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tapan-ghosh/change-nothing-just-be-yourself-to-experience-peace/) [Tapan Ghosh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tapan-ghosh/) > [No matter how badly people treat you, never drop down to their level. It will only excite them more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/no-matter-how-badly-people-treat-you-never-drop-down-to-their-level/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“You go into extinction by being obsessed about becoming something else and then travelling in the wrong car while your real self keeps waiting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/you-go-into-extinction-by-being-obsessed-about-becoming-something/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [It's always brave to be yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liu-yifei/it-s-always-brave-to-be-yourself/) [Liu Yifei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liu-yifei/) > [My true Self is free. I cannot be contained.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/my-true-self-is-free-i-cannot-be-contained/) [Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/) > [Why is it that anyone can pretend to be someone there not and never be someone they are?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akeem/why-is-it-that-anyone-can-pretend-to-be-someone-there-not-and-never/) [Akeem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akeem/) > [You can never change the Past, not control the future. But, you can change the mood of the day, by touching someone's Heart with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu/you-can-never-change-the-past-not-control-the-future-but-you-can/) [Ritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu/) > [Just be you. Do what you love. I've learned that in the end, you can't make everyone happy no matter what you say or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anurag-prakash-ray/just-be-you-do-what-you-love-i-ve-learned-that-in-the-end-you-can-t/) [Anurag Prakash Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anurag-prakash-ray/) > [Nothing has power over you unless you allow it. No matter what happens, you can choose what and how to think, act, and speak!…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/nothing-has-power-over-you-unless-you-allow-it-no-matter-what-happens/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Be who you want to be, not what people want to see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/be-who-you-want-to-be-not-what-people-want-to-see/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'm might not be the best , I might not be strongest or the fastest or the smart ,but I'm sure as hades ain't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mrawesome/i-m-might-not-be-the-best-i-might-not-be-strongest-or-the-fastest-or/) [MrAwesome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mrawesome/) > [I'm not a person to judge but I really don't care for people that follow I love the ones that want to lead unless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-brown/i-m-not-a-person-to-judge-but-i-really-don-t-care-for-people-that/) [Jordan Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordan-brown/) [Browse all 2,115 Be yourself quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/be-yourself/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Many modern gurus encourage us to ‘be ourselves’. Perhaps it has not occurred to them that we can only ever be ourselves – nothing more, nothing less.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Giannis Delimitsos" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giannis-delimitsos/many-modern-gurus-encourage-us-to-be-ourselves-perhaps-it-has-not/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Be yourself" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giannis-delimitsos/many-modern-gurus-encourage-us-to-be-ourselves-perhaps-it-has-not/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/718/giannis-delimitsos-38279_be-yourself_many-modern-gurus-encourage-us-to-be-our_440679.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/718/giannis-delimitsos-38279_be-yourself_many-modern-gurus-encourage-us-to-be-our_440679.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/718/giannis-delimitsos-38279_be-yourself_many-modern-gurus-encourage-us-to-be-our_440679.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Many modern gurus encourage us to ‘be ourselves’. Perhaps it has not occurred to them that we can only ever…” — Giannis Delimitsos", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Giannis Delimitsos", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giannis-delimitsos/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Many modern gurus encourage us to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giannis-delimitsos/many-modern-gurus-encourage-us-to-be-ourselves-perhaps-it-has-not/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giannis-delimitsos/many-modern-gurus-encourage-us-to-be-ourselves-perhaps-it-has-not/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```