be oneself

Idioms  

1. Act in one's usual fashion; be in one's normal physical or mental state. For example, Peter's finally recovered from the accident and is himself again , or I was completely distracted; I just wasn't myself .

2. Act without pretense; be unaffected, sincere. For example, I really enjoy their company because I can be myself with them .

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Example Sentences

The second value is voice, the term we use to describe the desire for authentic, individualistic self-expression—for instance, the freedom to be oneself without judgment from others.

From The Wall Street Journal

“Living authentically and being able to be oneself is where the focus should be.”

From Los Angeles Times

Mellor further argues that in welfare-aligned sentience we might try to support animals under our care to thrive, facilitating what’s called “positive-valenced experiences” that, just like pain, also suggest that “sense of what it’s like to be oneself” — things like warmth, comfort, interest and enjoyment.

From Salon

“Here, one feels the liberty to be oneself, to walk in the streets freely. I can cry to the four winds, ‘I am a muxe!’

From Los Angeles Times

The former presents a philosophical crisis in which I lost interest: How can one “be oneself” and “become a better version of oneself” at the same time?

From Slate