This is not the way I chose to be, it is just the way i was made. Its called my personality. I am a self-determined person, highly motivated by intrinsics (enjoyment and purpose) and not overly interested in ingratiating myself to others (social exchange). This has worked well for me for many years in that I could take risks and initiatives without regards of failure. Like all of us, when we are acting consistently with how we are designed, we feel normal and less stress. To protect the right to feel this way, its common to say to others, "its just the way I am, take me or leave me."
There is a lot of positives to being true to yourself. It is one form of integrity, which means "unbroken state". People value integrity, so with humility, we feel proud of being true to who we are. But there's just one problem.
By withholding or withdrawing from people and situations that do not accommodate and appreciate my "true self", I may miss opportunities to contribute in ways I am not comfortable with. Forcing myself to engage people and situations may be an opportunity for my own growth too. The particular situation or person that doesn't fit me may be strategically placed in my path to take me to a better place. Staying in my comfort zone of normal is not a life of faith.
The reluctance to act outside of our personality can be problematic to experiencing a more abundant and virtuous life. There is a faith required to do what is not normal. Our personality is neither right nor wrong, it is just the way we are. Yet, failing to exploit opportunities that we cannot see because they do not fit our personality may be the greatest constraint to the life we were made to live. Faith is trusting something beyond our self, maybe the Author of Life, for our life's satisfaction and not relying on our personality. This will push us out to people and situations that "do not get us", but will get us (receive) because we give our self unnaturally to them.
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