As June rolls by, a variety of rainbow flags dot the public landscape – each one a little herald celebrating the right “to be yourself”. There is a subtle but destructive error at the heart of “just be you” culture. We often like to describe ourselves with absolute terms: “I’m an introvert”, “I’m not a musical person”, or, as this month reminds us, “I’m gay”. Recognising limits is key to self-knowledge, but only when they really are our limits. Words have a way of shaping perception and, in turn, shaping reality. Self-knowledge without truth is merely self-deception. Without the truth of what I am, “being myself” ceases to be liberating and becomes limiting.
11:15 AM
The danger of “just be yourself”
The words we use about ourselves do more than describe reality; they can shape our character, our choices and our understanding of what it means to be human
David Hahn
6 min read
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