There’s that famous scene in Monty Python’s Life of Brian where Brian tells the crowd they are all individuals and shouldn’t follow anyone. The crowd immediately responds, in unison, that they are all individuals. Then one guy quietly disagrees… and the crowd tells him to shut up.
“You don’t need to follow anybody. You’ve got to think for yourselves. You’re all individuals.”
And the crowd, naturally, agrees.
Together.
In unison.
Because apparently even individuality works better when everybody does it at the same time. It just so happens that I saw this clip on TikTok. Which, I suppose, is appropriate. And it got my over-caffeinated brain monkeys worked up.
So naturally, the guy in the mirror and I started pondering that.
Being who you are.
What does that even mean anymore? I mean, really. Because every morning I wake up and apparently there’s a new personality available.
You check your phone and somebody with twelve million followers has discovered a new way to drink coffee. And suddenly everybody’s doing it. Not drinking coffee. Experiencing coffee. “Oh, I don’t drink coffee anymore. I’m exploring my relationship with caffeine.” No, you’re late for work. Drink the coffee.
Every day there’s a new trend, a new influencer, a new word somebody made up because apparently the English language wasn’t exhausting enough. And everybody wants to do it, be it, live it, manifest it, embody it, monetize it, and make a three-part video explaining how they discovered it while sitting in their car.
We used to have personalities. Now we have subscriptions. Your personality updates automatically overnight. You wake up and your phone says, A new version of you is available.
“What changed?” “You no longer like carbs. You have boundaries now. You collect plants.” “I don’t even like plants.” “You do now. Everybody does.”
And we’re all told: “Be authentic.” Which is interesting. Because authenticity has somehow become a group project. Everybody’s being unique… in exactly the same way. Same clothes. Same phrases. Same opinions. Same beige furniture. Same emotional support water bottle.
Everybody says, “I’m just protecting my peace.”
From what?
“People.”
Which people?
“Anybody who disagrees with me.”
That’s not protecting your peace. That’s starting a very quiet dictatorship.
And influencers are incredible. Because they don’t just influence what you buy anymore. They influence what kind of human being you are.
One person posts a video saying, “I’ve realized I need to slow down and live intentionally.” And within forty-eight hours, three million people are walking barefoot through Target saying, “I’ve been on this journey for a while.”
No, you haven’t. Yesterday you were posting videos about becoming a crypto millionaire while eating mozzarella sticks in bed.
But that’s over. New journey. The old you is dead, apparently. Funeral at six. Dress code: earth tones.
And that’s the thing. Original? Authentic? The real deal? Not anymore. Now it’s more like group norms with better lighting.
We don’t even have bandwagons anymore. We have entire personality parades. And nobody knows who’s driving. Everybody’s just sitting there yelling, “THIS IS SO ME!”
And you’re looking around thinking: There are twelve thousand people here. Wearing the same hat. Listening to the same podcast. Holding the same Stanley cup. Quoting the same therapist they found on TikTok.
How is this… so you?
Maybe being yourself isn’t about being completely original. That’s probably impossible anyway. We’re all influenced by somebody. Family. Friends. Culture. That weird guy you worked with in 1997 who said something once that still makes sense.
We’re all borrowing pieces from somewhere. But maybe being yourself is knowing the difference between something you genuinely chose… and something you accidentally downloaded.
Maybe authenticity is asking yourself: “If nobody was watching me, would I still do this?”
If nobody could like it… would you still wear it? If nobody could compliment you… would you still say it? If you couldn’t post it… would you still go there? If there was no audience… would you still be you?
Because maybe that’s the real problem. We’ve confused being seen with being known. And those are not the same thing.
Being yourself has become difficult because apparently everybody else is taking attendance.
But somewhere underneath all the trends, the algorithms, the aesthetics, the influencers, and the people explaining their morning routines while filming themselves asleep… there’s probably still a person in there.
You.
The original one.
The one with opinions nobody approved. The one who likes things because you like them. The one who doesn’t need to announce a new chapter every three weeks.
And maybe that person is still there. Probably sitting quietly. Waiting for everybody else to shut up long enough… …so you can hear yourself think.
And me?
I’m just here on my couch, phone in my hand, scrolling through the socials, laughing at memes, occasionally sending a few reels to pals. Same haircut I’ve had for years. Wearing the same old black T-shirts.
Maybe I should post videos of myself on TikTok just staring at the screen, sipping my coffee. No words. No merch. No commentary. Just me and my coffee.
…Oh, that would be so fetch.
There’s more waiting at https://xinkblotz.com.
Telling stories, sharing thoughts, and drinking coffee. A blend of fiction, reflection, and whatever’s brewing—one post at a time.
Stories have always traveled best by word of mouth. If one of these finds a place in your heart, I’d be honored if you’d drop a like or share it with someone else.
© 2026 Mariano Velez ~ InkBlotz Press
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