Every time someone drops that line, “just be true to yourself” I feel like I’ve accidentally walked into a fortune cookie factory.
It sounds profound. It feels supportive. But it’s empty.
Because who exactly is this “self” we’re meant to be true to?
The curated version we present online?
The child we once were?
The adult who got bent out of shape by jobs, relationships, and disappointments?
No one ever stops to define it. We just parrot it, as if saying the words is enough to grant meaning.
It’s lazy advice. A slogan masquerading as wisdom.
It’s what you say when you’ve run out of actual thought.
And let’s be real. Half the time, what people really mean is:
“Be true to yourself… but only in a way that doesn’t make me uncomfortable.”
Smile. Play nice. Stay palatable. Don’t disturb the feed.
But what if your “truth” is ugly, restless, contradictory? What if it doesn’t fit in an Instagram caption? What if it doesn’t come with a neat hashtag?
That’s the part no one wants to hear. Because the “self” isn’t some glowing inner essence waiting to be unlocked. It’s messy, unstable, constantly shifting. It’s a pile of contradictions.
So the next time someone says “just be true to yourself,” remember: that’s not advice. That’s a bumper sticker. A way of shutting down the real conversation.
If you actually want to live honestly, you’ll have to go deeper than a cliché.
And it won’t look good on a T-shirt.