“People say ‘just be yourself’
without checking first if that’s a good idea.”
— Helmutt Churchill
About Helmutt Churchill & the Quote
Born in Leipzig in 1940, Helmutt Churchill came of age among ration books, rigid neighbours, and an entire continent attempting to remember where it had left its moral compass. Authenticity, he believed, was a fine thing — but only in moderation.
This quote is taken from a postscript in his 1977 essay Authenticity and Other Poor Decisions, in which he warns against the reckless encouragement of unfiltered personality. Helmutt argued that some people should absolutely not “be themselves” — at least not in public, and certainly not on public transport.
He once observed:
“Society functions because most people are pretending to be someone slightly more reasonable.”
And he was right. Helmutt himself was deeply authentic — but only between the hours of 3 and 4pm, after his tea.
This quote reminds us that unfiltered truth is sometimes best served with a polite chuckle and a well-fitted cardigan.
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