Situation · Family and friends
“My friend acts like a different person around different people”
What could be going on
Self-monitoring: Fits if they adjust to each audience; high self-monitors shift a lot.
Impression management: Could be managing how they're seen; check whether it serves status.
False self (Winnicott): Check whether they seem unsure who they are underneath.
Masking (camouflaging): A benign cause: hiding autistic or ADHD traits in some company; check if it exhausts them.
Persona: Everyone wears some role; check whether the gap is large or ordinary.
Questions to carry
- In which company does my friend change most, and what changes first?
- Which version of my friend do I trust, and which version of me shows up with them?
Also said as
- she's fake around other friends
- my friend changes personality depending on who's there
- why is my friend two-faced
- he's different with his work mates
- friend changes depending on who's around
- my friend is fake