Essays About Being Yourself: Top 5 Examples and Prompts

Self-confidence and simply being yourself can do wonders for your well-being; Here are some examples of essays about being yourself.

What does it mean to “be yourself?” It is when you accept yourself for who you truly are, are confident in yourself, and live out your life authentically, free from fear, pressure, and inhibition. By being yourself, you are the happiest version of yourself. 

When society places such a high value on image, particularly online, it can be hard to stay authentic to who you are as a person. However, always remember that being yourself is good for your mental and physical health. When you live a life true to who you are and you feel happy, there is nothing you cannot achieve. 

If you are writing essays about being yourself, here are some essay examples and writing prompts to guide you. 

For help with your essay, check our round-up of best essay writing apps.

1. Always Be Yourself by Laura Meade

“We talk a lot about being yourself—being true to yourself, reflecting on your best self, striving to be the you that you know is inside. People spend years finding out what makes them happy, and what parts of their personality are most prominent and wonderful, and try to be more of that, more of the time.

Here’s the thing; for some of us, our best self is more than one person. Sometimes the quintessential nature of that self is being whoever we can be at the time and making that person amazing.”

Meade describes how she, as an actor is her authentic self, even with the “alternate personalities” she plays in her work. She discusses how she enjoys “acting” in different situations, on camera, or in a social setting. Her essay shows how being yourself differs depending on the person and can sometimes involve pretending not to be yourself.

You might also like these essays about change and essays about cinema.

2. Transforming my life long affair with low self-esteem by Evelyn Marinoff

“In the end, the desire to better ourselves is the first step to building self-esteem, it ultimately starts with loving yourself and honouring your own journey. Contrive a plan-the outcomes you want to get out of your confidence journey, stick to it, and take a stock at the end of each week. Remember that every day gives us a new opportunity to start fresh and anew.”

Marinoff describes her experiences with low self-esteem and how they compare with her life now, where she is herself. She remembers how sadder her life was and gives readers tips on becoming more self-confident versions of themselves, including self-affirmation and keeping a diary. When we want to improve, we build our self-esteem and can be true to ourselves in our day-to-day lives. 

3. Unapologetically Me by Crystal Jackson

“I realize that I matter, my feelings are important, and I don’t have to be the apologetic, timid mouse in my own life. I can take up space. I can walk with confidence. I can speak up and disagree, even when my opinion is unwelcome. I’m actually entitled to have and speak my opinions.”

Similar to Marinoff, Jackson writes about the difference between her past self and how she is now. She was once timid and afraid to speak her mind because of what others might say. However, she had a realization that sparked her desire to live her life more authentically, doing and saying what she wanted. She reminds readers to be unapologetic, but not to the point that it becomes offensive. 

4. I am Proud of Myself by Holly Riordan

“I am not completely happy with myself, but I like myself more than I have in a long time. I am more comfortable in empty rooms. I am more enthusiastic about pictures of myself. I am growing to appreciate the person staring back at me in the mirror instead of constantly criticizing her.”

Riordan reflects on her growth over the past few years. She has become more confident, happy, and healthy and uses the lessons she learned from past mistakes. She acknowledges, however, that there are still things she can improve on, such as being less harsh with herself. Though Riordan is not perfect, she is proud to be herself and who she has become. 

5. The Importance Of Being Yourself by Jeff Barton

“Many of us also act like someone we are not. Whether you did it to impress a love interest, your boss, or someone else, we have all not been ourselves because we believed it would get us what we wanted.

But when you are not yourself, you change. You change who you are and what you are about. You change your thoughts and beliefs and you become someone who tries to please others instead of pleasing yourself. You become someone else instead of being yourself.”

In his essay, Barton remembers who he used to be and how he would always base his actions on trying to please others. However, he changed for the better and started doing what he wanted rather than what society expected. He says we should be proud of who we are and stop trying to be other people. We should stop worrying about what others think, be ourselves, and live the lives we want to live. 

Tip: If writing an essay sounds like a lot of work, simplify it. Write a simple 5 paragraph essay instead.

Prompts On Essays About Being Yourself

1. Why It’s Important To Be Yourself

Many people have discussed the importance of being yourself, but what exactly does this mean? Identify and describe the impact of being authentically yourself. This could include not caring what others think of your style of hair or clothes, embracing your quirks, and not shying away from standing out in a crowd. Include your personal experiences for an engaging and convincing essay. 

2. Events That Shaped Who I Am 

Your past experiences shape your authentic self. For your essay, you can write about a specific event you feel was monumental in making you who you are today. Then, retell the story of the event, complete with its causes and effects. 

3. Being Unopollogetically Myself

Reflect on a time when you feel you expressed yourself best. It may be a time when you showcased one of your skills or hobbies or a time when you feel you expressed your feelings most authentically. As with the previous prompt, you are telling readers your story, so be sure to explain the event in detail. 

4. Why Do People Adopt False Personas?

Despite the growing calls for people to be more confident in themselves, many are still afraid of being their authentic selves, especially in public or on social media. In your essay, explore possible reasons for people’s hesitancy to be themselves, citing credible sources to support your points.

5. My Greatest Achievement

Think back to a time when you were proud of yourself. Describe the situation from winning a competition to learning something new to scoring well on a test. How did it make you feel- happy, relieved, or confident? The possibilities are endless! Describe in detail how this achievement made you feel and how it has impacted the person you are today.

6. Embracing and Overcoming Your Flaws

To truly be yourself, you must embrace all your flaws and fears. Describe one negative trait you previously had, and explain how you overcame or subdued this flaw. You can also write about a flaw you currently have and explain how you plan to get rid of it. 

If you’d like to learn more, check out our guide on how to write an argumentative essay.

For more information, check out our top essay writing tips!