It’s easy to be on our best behaviour when others are watching. We don’t want to be judged, so we adjust our actions. We put on a mask to hide parts of who we truly are.
I’m not talking about those who are simply shy or awkward in crowds. This is about something deeper.
Some people seem calm and collected in public but are restless and stressed in private. Others cut corners when no one’s around—bending the rules to make themselves look better than they really are.
When you see someone do something questionable, even if it’s small, it can make you wonder what else they do when they think no one is watching. Imagine taking an early morning walk and watching a driver roll through a stop sign. Was it an honest oversight, or do they do it all the time just to save a few seconds?
It makes you question their character. If they’ll break a rule when no one’s around, what else might they be willing to do? We all have harmless little habits—picking our nose, double-dipping a carrot stick in the veggie dip. Those are minor quirks. But what about the bigger things? The shortcuts that save time, make life convenient, or make us look good, but chip away at our integrity?
Convenience can feel harmless in the moment, but the truth has a way of catching up. You know your own lies. You carry them. That emotional weight, over time, erodes you. We are competitive beings—winning feels good, and so does being admired. But as Ryan Holiday wrote:
“The competitive drive is what motivates an athlete, but to cheat, or to hurt an opponent in order to win is to miss the point. It’s easy to get caught up in the pursuit of glory, but the real test lies in how we act when no one else is watching, when the stakes are high, and when the choices are difficult.”
Being the best means nothing if you weren’t honest to get there. Choosing to live authentically means aligning your private actions with the values you show the world.
Live in a way you’d be proud of—even if no one else ever sees it.
Take care.