Superhero Outfits

[Notes to Self – IV]

Rarely do I meet professionals with a high enough regard for themselves that they act like a superhero. But occasionally I’ll meet one. You know, the big ego, self-congratulatory, excessively confident type. They're out there.

Most people have a more sober understanding of themselves and their abilities. They’ve had success. And failure. They’re gifted and yet have weakness. Paradoxically, when put in a room of others, the ups and downs get flattened out, and the twists and turns of life get straightened. They tell ascending narratives, reflect about good decisions and great ideas, and rarely include the mistakes, the questions, the shortcomings, and the pain. When they look in the mirror, they see a collage of experiences, both good and bad, up and down, healthy and unhealthy. But when they project themselves in public, they wear a mask . . . like a superhero.

They don’t see themselves as a superhero.
They’re not narcissistic.
But the face they share in public is the one they think others want to see. And it’s a mask.

But have you ever noticed that superheroes wear their underwear on the outside?

Don’t be a narcissist. (You likely aren’t.)
Don’t project yourself like one. (You likely have.)

Be a superhero . . . not by wearing a mask . . . by wearing your underwear on the outside.