You’re Not Perfect

And nobody is on social media is expecting you to be

Photo by sarandy westfall on Unsplash

Today I was having a conversation over lunch about social media and branding. I was talking about how important it is to keep everything sharp, have professional photos, check for spelling mistakes etc., and that’s when my friend Callum stopped me and said ‘people don’t want to see you being perfect all the time, man — that’s not the real you.’

My first reaction was going to be a ‘yeah, but,’ followed by some excuse about maintaining a strong image, trademark or whatever — but the more I thought about it, the more I realized he was right. That isn’t the real you, and everybody knows it.

Of course, despite all appearance, nobody actually is perfect. Besides, there’s nothing likable or relatable about somebody who just constantly out-does everybody else — online or in real life. It’s no fun being around the guy who has it all figured out, and he usually just makes you feel pretty terrible about yourself.

What the world loves is a humble person. Trying to project an idealized, flawless version of yourself online isn’t just unrealistic, but it’s counter-productive — both in terms of friendships and business.

It might actually put people off more than it draws them in. Here’s why.

The Most Endearing Quality in the World

Have you ever met somebody famous or really successful, expecting them to be totally perfect and figured out (and even a little stuck-up), only to realize that they’re just the same as you are? Underneath all of the fancy stuff, they’re an ordinary person with flaws, setbacks, and regrets.

It’s always such a wonderful feeling — that reminder that this celebrity or that influencer is really just a human being like the rest of us.

That’s humility, and I honestly think it’s is one of the most endearing qualities anybody can possess. It’s why everybody hates a person that always brags or shows-off, and why everybody loves it when somebody really skilled tells a self-deprecating joke.

Humility lets us know that other people have flaws, too. I once watched a Tony Robbins video about building rapport, and he says that forming genuine connections…