Shticks and stones

Bring your whole self. Be authentic. Radical vulnerability!

I think most of these recommendations are well intentioned. It feels better to be yourself; to not filter out your inner world to fit the outer world. It’s an ancient belief to have right mind, right words, and right action. And to have alignment between what you think, say, and do. 

But it’s not always so easy. I’m sometimes surprised to find that a behavior in one context, that is authentic, isn’t ok in another. 

Enter the shtick. “a gimmick, comic routine, style of performance”. Think Lady Gaga, Ace Ventura, or Dolly Parton. I love these characters. Are they the whole, authentic self of Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, Jim Cary, or Dolly Parton? Do they represent every shade, ebb & flow, and the full depth of complete humans? Maybe. I doubt it though. More likely they’re just a slice. 

But they do represent a contract with an audience that lets them express at least a part of themselves. Lady Gaga is saying, when I step into this character, you’re going to get Lady Gaga. She can take it off too. 

So what’s your shtick?