People often create different versions of themselves in daily life. These second personalities, or alter egos, help them do things they normally feel scared about. John, a quiet man from my office, changes completely when he plays guitar at local bars on weekends. His friends sometimes don’t even recognize him! His voice changes and he moves differently from the shy accountant they know from work.
Where Do Alter Egos Come From?
The idea of alter egos is not new. Many cultures have stories about people who change into something else. People make alter egos because they need to express feelings they usually hide. Maria created a confident character called “Business Maria” for job interviews because she felt too nervous. She wore special clothes and styled her hair differently to feel like she was becoming this braver version of herself.
Famous people use alter egos too. Musicians, actors, and writers sometimes make different names and personalities for their work. They do this to try new styles or to protect their private life. Sometimes they just want to feel braver on stage. In my town, there’s a band with a lead singer who works as a quiet librarian during the week. On weekends, he changes completely during shows. He uses a different name and never talks about his music at work.
Creating an alter ego is not very hard. Many normal people have them without knowing! Teachers act differently in classrooms than at home. Parents talk one way to their children and another way to their friends. These are all small versions of alter egos. My neighbor is a serious doctor at the hospital but becomes a silly, fun person when playing with his kids. His patients would be surprised if they saw him!
How Alter Egos Help People
Tom was very shy. He couldn’t talk to new people at parties. He created “Social Tom” – a version of himself who enjoyed meeting strangers. At parties, he pretended to be this confident person. After doing this many times, he didn’t need to pretend anymore. The confidence became real! He met his girlfriend at a party where he used his alter ego, and they’ve been together for three years now.
Scientists say this happens because practicing new behaviors can change how our brains work. When someone acts confident many times, even when pretending, the brain starts to think this is normal. It’s like learning to ride a bike – at first you think about every move, but later it becomes natural.
Some people use alter egos in unhealthy ways – to hide from their problems instead of growing. A man I knew created a fake personality online very different from his real self. He spent so much time being this other person that he became sad about his real life. His therapist helped him see that alter egos should help you grow, not hide.
My cousin used an alter ego when she started running. Feeling embarrassed about being slow, she created “Runner Sarah” who just enjoyed moving. Now she runs marathons without needing her alter ego. The pictures on her wall show how this other self helped her become stronger.
We all change how we act in different situations. Using alter egos makes this natural process more planned. Maybe you already have one without knowing it! When feeling nervous, try imagining a confident version of yourself. Many successful people use this trick to reach goals they once thought impossible.
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