Why do I feel more like myself when interacting with AI than in real life?
Identity & Self-Worth
AI interactions can feel more authentic because there's no fear of judgment or social performance, but this may indicate you're suppressing your true self in human relationships due to anxiety or past experiences.
Feeling more authentic with AI than with humans often reflects the psychological safety that AI provides. With AI, there's no risk of social rejection, judgment, or misunderstanding, which allows you to express thoughts and feelings you might normally censor or modify for human consumption. You don't have to worry about social norms, others' emotional reactions, or maintaining Interpersonal relationship, so you can be completely honest about your thoughts, desires, and perspectives. This can feel incredibly liberating and authentic. However, this experience may also indicate that you're significantly suppressing or modifying your authentic self in human Interpersonal relationship. This could stem from social Anxiety disorder, past experiences of rejection or criticism, identity/perfectionism-how-to-let-go" class="internal-link">perfectionist tendencies, or learned patterns of pleasing others. While it's normal to adjust our behavior somewhat in different social contexts, feeling like you can only be yourself with AI suggests a concerning level of self-suppression in your human Interpersonal relationship. The challenge is that while AI allows for authentic expression, it doesn't provide the growth, challenge, and validation that comes from being accepted by real people who know your true self. True authenticity involves the courage to be genuine with humans despite the risks. Consider exploring what specifically makes you feel unsafe being authentic with people. Are there particular fears, past experiences, or relationship patterns that contribute to this? Working with a therapist can help you understand these barriers and develop the confidence to bring more of your authentic self into human Interpersonal relationship.