In its most literal interpretation, “most people'' know you as a stranger almost no matter who you are. No matter what you have accomplished, most people on Earth know most other people as strangers.
Take a moment to contemplate the countless individuals you’ll see in your life only once. I gave a group of tourists directions the other night and it didn’t cross my mind until now that I will almost certainly never see them again in my life. This is true with most people. If it were your last time seeing someone, would you behave differently? Many times your first impression of someone is also often your last.
The ability to accept that you can simultaneously be cosmically insignificant yet significant on many other levels is an important factor in sustaining a positive outlook on life. While most people on Earth may know you as a stranger, your impact on the lives of those close to you can be profound. As Peter Matthiessen once said, the purpose of life is to help others through it. While Western cultures often prioritize career success, true life success encompasses a much broader meaning and is better measured by the positive influence one has on others.
You may be different characters to different people. You could be a mother, father, brother, grandparent, grandchild, niece, boss, leader, manager, colleague, friend, acquaintance, and many more. You can be more than one thing to more than one person, but you cannot be everything to everyone. Sometimes we prioritize being one thing over another.
One aspect of exploring who you are to different people is realizing that, to a stranger, you can be a more friendly version of your usual self or a whole new version of you. This introduces the concept of being true to yourself and the importance of having a moral guidepost to aid in determining when, where, to whom, and to what extent it is appropriate, or not at all, to adjust your character.
When you marry someone, you are marrying your perception of someone and everything you know that person to be. You are marrying that person as a husband or wife and as a friend. Though your spouse may also be a boss, you would unlikely want to marry that persona of them. You do not know every decision your spouse has made or will make, though you are able to mentally place your persona of them into a situation to get a sense of how they would respond. Trusting in your spouse that the decisions they make that you don’t see are true to a high degree of your perception of how you feel they may respond contributes to a feeling of truly knowing them.
In exploring who you are to different people, it's essential to recognize that you have the power to be a positive influence in the lives of those you interact with, whether they are family, friends, colleagues, or even strangers you meet only once. By being intentional about your actions and staying true to your moral compass, you can ensure that your presence makes a positive impact on the world around you. No matter who you are and no matter what roles you play in life, your significance to the people in your life is immeasurable. Embrace the different roles you play and strive to be the best version of yourself in each of them. In doing so, you'll not only find greater purpose and fulfillment in your own life but also contribute to the well-being of those whose lives you touch.