Most people have different parts of themselves that show up depending on their circumstances. They have different sides of themselves for their family, friends, relationship partner, children, and even for the occasional stranger. For some people, this can become confusing when two or more of them wind up colliding at different situations because they’re used to keeping them separate.
For me, the situation that immediately comes into my mind is every time my partner is with me around my family. This was at it’s worse when I first had him over for a birthday party we were having for either my mother or me.
When this happened, I started to become really quiet because I was used to being quiet around that part of my family, but I wanted to talk to my partner since I was comfortable with him. I wound up being this mix between my usual quiet and shy personality and my talkative side I have with those I’m close to.
When this time occurred, My family later asked why I was acting that strange, but I couldn’t find a way to explain it. I had felt uncomfortable being around my family and someone that I had come to trust more than them. I still can’t fully understand that situation, but I know that the others around me didn’t notice that being one of the reasons I was acting a little less like whatever version of myself they were used to seeing.