"Be Yourself. The world will adjust."
I saw this message on a shirt this summer, and the more I thought about it, the more I realized it was completely wrong. These types of messages are all over the place. Especially common, it seems, is the concept, “Be Yourself”.
This is absurd. Most of us have no choice but to be ourselves. Those that are ‘not themselves’ do not usually feel that they are capable of changing the situation. Whenever you see or hear someone saying “be yourself”, take time to consider whether the advice is necessary or good.
Secondly, if being yourself requires the world to adjust, you probably have a ‘self’ that is far too extreme. Everyone on this planet needs to take care that they do not disturb or bowl over those around them.
Don't use "It's just who I am" as an excuse for bad behavior. Let God change you into a person better suited to serve His purpose.
So essentially this little girl was wearing bad advice on her shirt. Many people that day would have read and internalized it, without thinking whether to take it or not. Some might have recalled it and used it to justify a bad habit or action later that day.
Don’t be a baby bird - gobbling up everything that's thrown at you. Beware lest you are deceived. Test the simple messages being thrown at us to see if they hold the valuable truth we should all be seeking.