Be Yourself. The World’s Had Enough Prototypes

We’ve officially reached a point where optics matter more than authenticity.

Saying the right thing at the right time, with just the right amount of wide-eyed performative empathy to make sure you’re seen as a team player while your Slack DMs read like a casting call for the next episode of Succession. (Yes, I’m aware it has concluded)

I’ve worked with colleagues who would rather look collaborative than actually collaborate. They smile in meetings and then forward an idea as their own by lunchtime.

Because somewhere along the line, people stopped asking, “Is this real?” and started asking, “How does this make me look?”

That’s the working world we’ve built where authenticity feels risky, and fakeness is rewarded with promotions and polished LinkedIn posts about “growth.”

And, it’s exhausting.

You want to stand out? here’s the cheat code, be freakin’ genuine.

Be the person who says what they mean. Be the one who lifts others up without needing a spotlight. Be the human who remembers we’re all just trying to get through the day without screaming into the void between Zoom/Teams calls.

Because in a sea of calculated personas and curated corporate theater, being real is the most refreshing rebellion.

Forget the optics, drop the act and be someone your past self would be proud of, and your present self can live with.

That’s not just authenticity, it’s freedom.