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“Be Yourself” Might Be The Worst Self-Improvement Advice Ever

Here’s a better version

“Be yourself!” — perfect advice for any situation, right? Except that being yourself is about the worst thing you can do if you’re not happy, or have long-standing issues you need help with. And when this simple, but useless, theory seeps into other areas of your life, you’re really in trouble.

If I ate the way I wanted to every day, I’d be obese. I know, because I’ve done it. If I thought the way I’m naturally inclined to every day, I’d be very depressing company. I’d have been great in the Stone Age, when my high body fat would sustain me through lean months, and my “glass-half-empty” outlook would over-worry about predators.

But I don’t live in the Stone Age.

So a better version is this. “Be who you want to be”