Why you should be yourself because everyone else is already taken

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Kevin Mangelschots

The quote, “be yourself, everyone else is already taken” written on a picture frame, by Oscar Wilde.

Most of us know being jealous of someone else all too well. Maybe it was because they were prettier than us, or because they were more skilled at something we desperately wanted to be good at ourselves.

Yet, everyone is unique, which means everyone has their own personal gifts and imperfections. And that’s precisely why you should be yourself. Because everyone else is already taken. This is how to own your uniqueness.

Be yourself, everyone else is taken meaning

The quote, “be yourself, everyone else is taken” written in white letters on a brown background.

The quote, “be yourself, everyone else is taken” means that you have to live your own life the way you want to, regardless of what other people do.

Everyone has their specific strengths, but also weaknesses. That’s why the right path for you is not necessarily the correct track for me to take.

These unique traits make for totally incomparable personalities. That’s why you should be yourself, because trying to be someone you’re not is not going to bring you happiness.

However, it should be noted that people are still more alike than they are different.

Why you should be yourself since everyone else is already taken

  • Different strengths and weaknesses

    Everyone is unique since we’ve all got our individual cocktail of particular strengths and weaknesses.

    It only makes sense to tailor our own personality to our own specific skill set. You shouldn’t expect an extroverted person to act the same as an introverted individual, for example.

    Even if they could conduct themselves the same way, the extroverted individual would not become happy behaving like an introvert, and vice versa.

  • More likely to be happy

    Image of a cat with a smile and teeth painted on a piece of paper in front of the cat's face.

    You’re much more likely to be happy when you decide to pursue life according to your values, and in the manner that you want to.

    Copying someone else, no matter how successful they are, is unlikely to bring you happiness and contentment.

    What you can do is determine what aspects of their personality you like, for example their kindness, discipline, or dignity, and strive to incorporate said traits.

    Just because I advise you to be yourself doesn’t mean that I don’t want you to improve yourself, or to take inspiration from someone else. And there’s always something we can learn from those around us.

  • Others aren’t always right

    A funny illustration about Garfield with the quote, “I'm not always right, but I'm never wrong” written above him.

    Group thinking is a real phenomenon, which involves single-mindedly following the decisions of a group, instead of thinking critically for ourselves.

    This can be advantageous at times, since what the majority does is generally quite good for the average person, but it can also make us susceptible to thinking errors and biases.

    No matter what you decide to do, you should always think for yourself. The group, nor the majority is always right. And just because someone else jumps from a bridge doesn’t mean that you should do the same for the sake of following.

  • To develop yourself

    The quote, “character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the sould be strengthened, vision cleared, ambition inspired, and success achieved. It is in the most trying times that our real character is shaped and revealed” written on a green background. Quote by Helen Keller.

    You can’t develop your own capabilities and personality when you’re too busy trying to be like someone else.

    Every single one of us needs to carve out their own path. That doesn’t mean that there won’t be hurdles, mistakes, and failures along the way. But these are all necessary so that we can grow as individuals.

    Other people will always have their own unique gifts that we’re jealous about, and wish we had ourselves. But others think just the same about some traits that we possess. The grass always seems greener on the other side of the fence, never forget that.

  • Different personalities

    All of the above gets us to my main point. We all have varied personalities since we are so different in many ways.

    That’s why there’s not one best answer for everyone, and why everyone needs to develop their own character according to their personal values, so that we can all live a purposeful life.

    Because ultimately, that’s where our contentment comes from. From living meaningfully by accomplishing our dreams and goals. By continuously growing as an individual. That’s a purposeful existence.

Who said everyone else is already taken?

Image of the poet Oscar Wilde sitting down in a chair.

Oscar Wilde, an Irish playwright and poet who lived from 16 October 1854 until 30 November 1900 famously said, “be yourself, everyone else is already taken.”

Be yourself everyone else is already taken examples

An example of being yourself, everyone is already taken is when your extroverted friends are in the center of attention while at a party, garnering praise and smiles from the surrounding people.

You, on the other hand, are more introverted and just enjoying the scenery, chilling in the background instead of trying to compete for attention by trying to be someone you’re not.

Instead of being jealous, you realize that your personality has its own unique qualities that allow you to thrive in different situations.

Why do people say just be yourself?

Illustration with one colored stick art among many gray ones with the quote, “just be yourself” written underneath him in colors.

People often say “just be yourself” in order to give a person confidence, and/or to promote authenticity.

It’s good advice since it’s impossible to be someone that you’re not. You can pretend for a while by putting on a “mask”, but this will not bring you happiness, nor will you be able to sustain this illusion forever.

How do you embrace who you are?

  1. Discover what your values are

    What do you personally find important? What’s essential for you to live a content, fulfilling life?

    Everyone’s core values will be different. But beliefs such as respect, honesty, and loyalty are some universally valued commodities that most typically find critical.

  2. Figure out what you like about yourself

    Image of multiple people giving a thumbs up.

    What are some things you like about yourself currently?

    Maybe you’re an upstanding citizen, a loyal friend, or maybe you’re extremely disciplined. All indispensable things to figure out what our strengths are.

  3. Figure out what you dislike about yourself

    What are some aspects about yourself that you dislike and would like to change if you got the chance?

    Analyzing what you don’t like about your personality also helps you determine what your core values are, and what you need to change in the future to become who you want to be.

  4. Identify what you want to become in life

    Illustration showing how we go from where we are now, to where we want to be.

    You need to envision what kind of person you want to become in the future.

    Because if you’ve got no idea who you want to become, then how are you going to become someone of worth that enjoys their life?

  5. Determine where you currently are in life

    You need to assess your situation honestly and evaluate where you’re currently standing.

    That way, you know what changes you need to make in order to attain your goals down the road.

  6. Stop comparing yourself to other people

    The quote, “stop comparing yourself to others. You are you, nobody else could be you even if they tried to be. You are unique and beautiful. Nobody else is you.” Written in black letters on a white background.

    Comparing yourself to others will only lead to envy and jealousy in the end. That’s because we exclusively compare the skills we’re worse at than other people.

    But honestly, the only person you should be competing with is yourself. You should try to be the best version of you by trying to do a bit better each day.

  7. Live according to your values

    You can only live a meaning life if you do so according to your intrinsic values.

    That’s why trying to be some someone you’re not will not bring you happiness, even though you might portray a superficial sense of confidence and charm to the masses.

  8. Learn to say no

    Image of a man holding his hand in front of his face, indicating that he's telling someone to stop.

    You can’t be yourself if you’re constantly saying yes to please others, or because you’re scared to reject others out of insecurity.

    Yet, it’s absolutely required if you want to live your existence the way you want it to. Others will always have something to say about your choices, so it’s best not to bother, or let it get to you too much.

  9. Understand and accept that nobody’s perfect

    Nobody is perfect. No matter how many strong points we have, and how disciplined we are, we’re always going to have our disadvantages since we’re only human in the end.

    Yet, that doesn’t make striving for improvement a bad thing at all. It’s just that you should keep in mind that perfection is unattainable, no matter who you are, and what advantages you received at birth.

 

How do I stop being like everyone else?

The quote, “you are unique, just like everyone else” written in black letters on a white background.

  1. Accept that you’re unique

    Everyone is different, with each their unique advantages, but also disadvantages given to us at birth.

    That’s why there’s not one best way of living that’s appropriate for everyone. You should celebrate your uniqueness by playing to your strengths instead of looking at what others do better than you.

  2. The grass always seems greener on the other side of the fence

    The quote, “the grass is always greener, until you have to mow it” written in white letters, with green as the background

    No matter what, and how much we have, human nature is such that we’re never satisfied with what we do have.

    You should keep that in mind when you’re comparing yourself to other people. Try this instead. Take a look at what you have that others don’t, and practice gratefulness for the advantages you were given.

  3. Live according to your core values

    When you live according to your intrinsic values, you’re automatically going to stop being like everyone else since everyone is different, and find other things meaningful as a result.

    Follow your own beliefs instead of worrying what others might think of you. You’re never going to please everyone out there, seeing as everyone has such a varied character.

  4. Stop trying to please others

    The quote, “just a quick reminder: you can't please everyone” written in black letters on a gray background.

    Pleasing others means you’re trying to adjust your personality to match their needs and wants.

    That conveys that you’re not being your authentic self, and rather trying to be who others want you to be.

  5. Let the people you admire guide your path

    You should never simply copy another individual, even though you admire them. Chances are that they have their lesser qualities too that you don’t want to imitate.

    But what you can do is taking a look at what features you value about their character, and incorporate them into your own very being.

  6. Reflect on your lifestyle

    We can’t change things when we’re unconscious of the fact that there’s something wrong, or when we have no clue how to fix it.

    Reflecting often allows us to become more aware of the things that might have lingered in our subconscious mind previously.

 

What does it mean to be different from everyone else?

The quote, “people may hate you for being different and not living by society's standards, but deep down, they wish they had the courage to do the same” written in green letters on a greenish background.
 
Being different from everyone else conveys that you stand out due to having different qualities than the average person, or simply because you’re not trying to fit in, and be like everyone else.
 
While that can make you feel estranged and isolated at times, it’s actually not a bad thing. The masses generally try to blend in, doing their absolute best not to stand out due to fear of rejection, and insecurity.
 
But being different from everyone else means you’re courageous enough to be yourself, and not just trying to fit in by doing what’s comfortable and deemed “normal.”
 

Is “be yourself” good or bad advice?

Illustration of a road sign saying “good”, pointing to the right, and a road sign saying “bad”, pointing to the left.
 
“Be yourself” can be good and bad advice depending on the circumstances.
 
It can be good advice to promote authenticity, and to boost someone’s self-esteem so that they’re daring enough to be themselves.
 
But it can be bad advice if you have a poor character. Think of characteristics such as being socially awkward, uninteresting, rude, and condescending toward others.

The ideal advice in that particular instance would be to improve themselves and their abilities, rather than just trying to be yourself and accepting all your bad traits.
 

How do I know I'm being myself?

“Did you know?” Written in black letters on a white background.
 
You know you’re being true to yourself if:
 
  1. You’re honest with yourself and others
  2. You’re unafraid to share your thoughts, feelings, ideas, and opinions
  3. You have haters
  4. You feel unashamed
  5. You’re not suffering from cognitive dissonance

How do you know if you're not being yourself?

These are some possible signs that you’re not being true to yourself:
 
  1. You’re trying to please everyone
  2. You feel ashamed and anxious about what you’re saying
  3. You constantly worry about what other people think of you
  4. You’re resentful of others
  5. You feel selfish when prioritizing your own needs and desires
  6. You feel burned out

Is it good for people to be different?

The quote, “the best way to get along with people is to not expect them to be like you.” Written by Joyce Meyers.
 
Even though people are more alike than they are different, it’s good that people have their divergences.
 

Diversity prevents stagnation since different thought processes lead to varied ideas and solutions. And we know that we typically need different thinking than what created the problems in the first place.

It promotes learning since we’re incentivized to put us in the shoes of others in order to understand different point of views.

And finally, it makes the world a more interesting place. Just imagine how boring life would become if everyone were to be, and thus think and act the same. That would be a dull existence indeed.
 

Be yourself everyone else is taken synonyms

“Another word for synonym” written in white letters on a green background.

Be yourself, everyone else is taken has a couple of synonyms such as:

  1. Be yourself, everyone else is already taken
  2. Be yourself because everyone else is taken
  3. Be who you are, everyone else is taken
  4. Be you, everyone else is taken

While the wording is slightly different, the meaning remains the same. Thus, these phrases are regularly used interchangeably.

 

Conclusion

Image of a magnifying glass hovering over the word “conclusion.”

Be who you are, everyone else is taken. This isn’t always as easy as it sounds, as it requires courage in addition to confidence to be yourself.

Embrace your own personality. Don’t compare yourself to others, since different folks will always have certain gifts you don’t have, just like you have your own personal advantages that they don’t possess.

Being yourself doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t try to improve, or that you can’t take inspiration from those around you. It simply means you shouldn’t try to be someone you’re not.