keep the real you visible
Is it better to be rejected for who you are or accepted for the curated image you've created?
I certainly believe the former.
Unfortunately, it often feels like the latter is the norm.
Whether it's social media, the job market, or even the dating market, the default seems to be the same: highlight your strengths, hide your weaknesses.
It makes sense if the goal is simply to stand out to get anyone to like, hire, or date you. I can understand why. Rejection sucks. Sometimes you feel desperate, alone. I've been there, too. Yet, that is not the right goal.
The goal is to find the right one.
Someone who sees the value in you.
Something specific or special.
Which, by defintion, means unlike most.
In other words, most of them won't be a fit. Most of them should end up in rejection. It's a feature, not a bug. In fact, you should be happy to find the mismatch as early as possible so you can move on with your search for the right one.
The one who is looking for someone like you.
If you're hiding the real you, how could anyone ever find it?