A young man is talking to his friend, looking quite stressed.
“My girlfriend asked me to do something simple today,” he sighs. “And I’m completely stuck.”
His friend sips his coffee calmly. “Simple? What was it?”
“She told me to ‘just be myself’,” the man explains, running a hand through his hair. “I don’t know what that means! What if ‘myself’ isn’t what she wants? What if ‘myself’ forgot to take out the trash, again?”
His friend chuckles. “Come on, it can’t be that complicated. Just act natural.”
“That’s the problem!” the man insists. “I’ve been putting on a ‘natural’ act for so long, I’ve forgotten what ‘myself’ actually is! Am I the guy who leaves socks on the floor, or the guy who meticulously pretends to be tidy?”
The friend thinks for a moment. “Well, what did you do last time she said that?”
The man groans. “Last time, I just sat completely still for an hour. She thought I was having a crisis.”
His friend laughs. “Okay, new strategy. Maybe ‘just be myself’ means be the version of yourself that she likes the most.”
The man’s eyes widen. “You think so? But which one is that? The thoughtful one? The funny one? The one who actually cooks sometimes?”
His friend nods. “Exactly! Just try to combine all the best parts. And if that doesn’t work…”
The man leans in eagerly. “What then?”
His friend winks. “Then tell her your phone battery died, and you couldn’t process her request correctly.”