--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When they say \"Be yourself,\" which self…" description: "\"When they say \"Be yourself,\" which self do they mean?\" — Rob Brezsny" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/797/rob-brezsny-7732_being-yourself_when-they-say-be-yourself-which-self-do_1841285.png" --- # When they say "Be yourself," which self do they mean? ![“When they say "Be yourself," which self do they mean?” quote by Rob Brezsny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/797/rob-brezsny-7732_being-yourself_when-they-say-be-yourself-which-self-do_1841285.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/797/rob-brezsny-7732_being-yourself_when-they-say-be-yourself-which-self-do_1841285.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/797/rob-brezsny-7732_being-yourself_when-they-say-be-yourself-which-self-do_1841285.png) > “When they say "Be yourself," which self do they mean?” [Rob Brezsny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-brezsny/) ## 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” is ambiguous because identity is multifaceted and context‑dependent. **In simple terms:** Being yourself is unclear due to multiple selves. Key Takeaway Clarify which aspects of self you value. Themes identity self‑knowledge authenticity Mood reflective inquisitive Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - personal relationships - career decisions - creative work Key Concepts psychology philosophy social roles Questions to Reflect On - Which part of yourself do you most often hide? - How does context shape your sense of self? 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Assume that secret helpers are working behind the scenes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-brezsny/act-as-if-the-universe-is-a-prodigious-miracle-created-for-your/) [Rob Brezsny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-brezsny/) > [Your sweet spot is in between the true believers and the scoffing skeptics…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-brezsny/your-sweet-spot-is-in-between-the-true-believers-and-the-scoffing/) [Rob Brezsny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-brezsny/) > [Not waiting for someone to give you what you can give yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-brezsny/not-waiting-for-someone-to-give-you-what-you-can-give-yourself/) [Rob Brezsny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-brezsny/) > [If you bury your face in your tear-stained pillow and beg God to please send you your soul mate, may you not slur your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-brezsny/if-you-bury-your-face-in-your-tear-stained-pillow-and-beg-god-to/) [Rob Brezsny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-brezsny/) > [I will never again cast a curse on myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-brezsny/i-will-never-again-cast-a-curse-on-myself/) [Rob Brezsny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-brezsny/) > [What worn-out shticks are blinding you to the blessings that life is conspiring to give you?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-brezsny/what-worn-out-shticks-are-blinding-you-to-the-blessings-that-life-is/) [Rob Brezsny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-brezsny/) > [Blow kisses to the oak trees and sparrows and elephants and weeds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-brezsny/blow-kisses-to-the-oak-trees-and-sparrows-and-elephants-and-weeds/) [Rob Brezsny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-brezsny/) > [Proclaim the only truth you can be totally sure of: "I don't know."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-brezsny/proclaim-the-only-truth-you-can-be-totally-sure-of-i-don-t-know/) [Rob Brezsny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-brezsny/) > [Your imagination is the single most important asset you possess. 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Love is an act of heroic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-brezsny/hypotheses-evil-is-boring-cynicism-is-idiotic-fear-is-a-bad-habit/) [Rob Brezsny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-brezsny/) [Explore all 88 Rob Brezsny quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-brezsny/) ## More Being yourself quotes > [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/) > [If you can't love yourself, how in the hell you gonna love somebody else?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupaul/if-you-can-t-love-yourself-how-in-the-hell-you-gonna-love-somebody/) [RuPaul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupaul/) > [There is nothing to do, just be. Do nothing. Be. No climbing mountains and sitting in caves. I do not even say "be yourself"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sri-nisargadatta-maharaj/there-is-nothing-to-do-just-be-do-nothing-be-no-climbing-mountains/) [Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sri-nisargadatta-maharaj/) > [The thing about a pick-up line is, even if it works, then what? I just figure you unapologetically be yourself, and if it works,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/skylar-astin/the-thing-about-a-pick-up-line-is-even-if-it-works-then-what-i-just/) [Skylar Astin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/skylar-astin/) > [Say to yourself: 'Living essentially to please others is a monumental mistake.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-robinson/say-to-yourself-living-essentially-to-please-others-is-a-monumental/) [George Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-robinson/) > [About all you can do in life is be who you are. Some people will love you for you. Most will love you for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-mae-brown/about-all-you-can-do-in-life-is-be-who-you-are-some-people-will-love/) [Rita Mae Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-mae-brown/) > [If you don't feel free and be yourself, you can't connect. Find people who accept your quirks. They'll heal your soul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/if-you-don-t-feel-free-and-be-yourself-you-can-t-connect-find-people/) [Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) > [Give yourself a chance to live because nobody will live it for you when you die](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/give-yourself-a-chance-to-live-because-nobody-will-live-it-for-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'm not pretty,I'm not smart.I'm not perfect and some people don't think I'm worth it.But if you look inside and see,you will see the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lexi-price/i-m-not-pretty-i-m-not-smart-i-m-not-perfect-and-some-people-don-t/) [Lexi Price](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lexi-price/) > [Your not born knowing what sex you like because you don't know what your feelings are, then before you know what sex you like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-brown/your-not-born-knowing-what-sex-you-like-because-you-don-t-know-what/) [Charlie Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-brown/) > [You can't be everything to everyone. 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So concentrate on doing what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-kitavi/you-can-t-be-everything-to-everyone-no-matter-what-you-do-there-will/) [Jonathan Kitavi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-kitavi/) > [The clashes of people and the clashes of cultures have assisted me in learning the openness you have to be a part of in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kissey/the-clashes-of-people-and-the-clashes-of-cultures-have-assisted-me-in/) [Kissey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kissey/) > [Celebrate all the things you don't like about yourself. love yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lady-gaga/celebrate-all-the-things-you-don-t-like-about-yourself-love-yourself/) [Lady Gaga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lady-gaga/) > [“If you're the smartest person in the room, you might wanna switch rooms.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sabrina-newby/if-you-re-the-smartest-person-in-the-room-you-might-wanna-switch-rooms/) [Sabrina Newby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sabrina-newby/) > [Stop trying to impress other and start impressing yourself !!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kale-bell/stop-trying-to-impress-other-and-start-impressing-yourself/) [Kale Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kale-bell/) [Browse all 1,461 Being yourself quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-yourself/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When they say \"Be yourself,\" which self do they mean?", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Rob Brezsny" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-brezsny/when-they-say-be-yourself-which-self-do-they-mean/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Being yourself" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-brezsny/when-they-say-be-yourself-which-self-do-they-mean/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/797/rob-brezsny-7732_being-yourself_when-they-say-be-yourself-which-self-do_1841285.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/797/rob-brezsny-7732_being-yourself_when-they-say-be-yourself-which-self-do_1841285.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/797/rob-brezsny-7732_being-yourself_when-they-say-be-yourself-which-self-do_1841285.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When they say \"Be yourself,\" which self do they mean?” — Rob Brezsny", "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": "Rob Brezsny", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-brezsny/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "When they say \"Be yourself,\" which...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-brezsny/when-they-say-be-yourself-which-self-do-they-mean/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-brezsny/when-they-say-be-yourself-which-self-do-they-mean/#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 } } ] } ```