The act of pretending translates into a big conscious effort of willpower that drains your brain of its ability to focus and do deep work.

Self-control is like a muscle, and like any muscle, when used repeatedly, it tires and will perform poorly. You'll also feel a lot of stress and anxiety in your body.

It's far better to be yourself and risk having people not like you than to suffer the stress and tension that comes from pretending to be someone you’re not, or professing to like something that you don’t.