“You are so fake” is a phrase that is thrown around far too often. It is a phrase that implies that you are acting, thinking, or speaking in an inauthentic manner. Whenever an individual chooses to change their typical way of thinking or speaking, they are automatically dubbed a fraud. What if I told you this person was being a genius as opposed to being a fraud?

People do not change their way of thinking, speaking, or acting without reason. There are times when an individual has to be overbearingly respectful, like during a job interview. Although this person may be a “party animal” Thursday through Friday, on Monday they choose to clean up their act. It would be great if you could walk into an interview and high five the interviewer. It would be even better if you could partake in some good old bro talk, but that is not realistic. You can try it, but I doubt you will get the job, unless you are interviewing for the role of “head frat bro”.

The genius of being able to adapt your character to a given situation is a skill that many do not possess. If you do not believe me, think about someone you might work with. Are they ever too loud or relaxed during work hours? Have they ever been reprimanded for speaking in the vernacular to your boss? That individual does not know how to change themselves to conform to their environment.

Do not get me wrong, I am not saying you should completely change and forget who you are in order to please people. I believe you should always be yourself while displaying different characteristics of yourself to different people. The way you act around your boss should be a bit different from the way you act around your friends. There are even times that the way you act around your friends should be different from the way you act around your family. There will be times when you should act incredibly enthusiastic and there will be other times when you should act solemn and silent.

I have been called fake more than once in my life. There are some who know me as a funny and obnoxious teenager. There are others who know me as a silent and pensive young woman. There are a few who know me as a loud and rude girl. None of these observations of my character are acutely wrong, but they all lack context. Some days, I am full of happiness and humor. I trot around campus on my own form of cloud nine and attempt to spread the good vibes to everyone I encounter. Some days, my happiness is clouded by feelings of sadness and unease. It genuinely depends on the date and time.

Being a different person to different people is all about understanding different social cues and that time old saying that “there is a time and a place for everything”. If you have ever been called fake for acting differently around different people, here is the reminder that you are an adaptable genius.