Ask yourself: What would Carl Rogers do? (part 2)

While reading "A Way of Being" by Carl Rogers, a particular passage stuck out for me.

I will reproduce it here:

"I am disappointed when I realize--and of course this realization always comes afterward, after a lag of time--that I have been too frightened or too threatened to let myself get close to what I am experiencing, and that consequently I have not been geniune or congruent. There immediately comes to mind an instance that is somewhat painful to reveal. Some years ago I was invited to be a Fellow at the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences at Stanford. The Fellows are a group of brilliant and well-informed scholars. I suppose it is inevitable that there is a considerable amount of one-upmanship, of showing off one's knowledge and achievements. It seems important for each Fellow to impress the others, to be a little more assured, to be a little more knowledgeable than he really is. I found myself doing this same thing--playing a role of having greater certainty and greater competence than I really possess. I can't tell you how disgusted with myself I felt as I realized what I was doing: I was not being me, I was playing a part. " (From pg 18, A Way of Being, by Carl Rogers).

Here, Rogers brings to mind an example of a situation where he was not being his authentic, true self. And he noted the negative emotions he felt as a result of behaving in that manner.

Today's message is to be authentic. Admit your shortcomings, and you might find that others will follow suit.

It's easier to connect to another person, when it is clear that that person is presenting their true self to you. So go out in the world and make it easier for others to know who you really are.

Feel free to leave comments below if you experienced similar situations to the one Carl Rogers described. How did it make you feel once you realized you weren't being authentic?