Remember what Dr Seuss once said? “Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.”
The New Age man is not about being flashy and going all out to woo his woman. Even on a date, Abhay Deol suggested on a chat show, that it’s best kept as real as possible. And if the woman doesn’t like what she sees, then too bad! “It’s better to be yourself and not pretend to be someone you are not” seems to work for Hrithik as well. He admits he was okay about projecting his true self instead of hiding behind some façade. As he wasn’t able to afford the expensive dating tricks, Suzanne was told the truth and that’s what she liked about him.
A celeb’s life is no different from a regular person feels film critic Mayank Shekhar. “When it comes to interpersonal relationships, what happens to a John Abraham can happen to any Rakesh or Suresh.” But a celeb’s life is under public scrutiny. “They have the baggage of tabloid reports. So instead of pretending to be someone they are not, they are better off being themselves,” he says.
For IT professional Karan N, honesty is the key. “I like to be brutally honest about everything — whether it’s about why I am dating, my previous relationships or if I will call her at the end of the date.” This, he hopes, will help him gain a friend even if things don’t work out.
But if Hrithik can admit to his girlfriend paying on their first date, why do so many men have trouble with honesty? Says funnyman Cyrus Sahukar, “If I was honest on my date, I wouldn’t have a love life!” He adds, “‘Be yourself’ is only for self-help books. Even Romeo would have found it hard.”
But that’s not what lifestyle therapist Dr Preeti Sethi suggests. “Girls are also self-reliant and know what they want in a relationship. Honesty is number one on most minds and guys stand to lose if they lie about themselves.”
Banker Sirish G believes the dating game is only getting tougher with women wanting all details possible. “It’s okay to talk about your likes and dislikes. But beyond that, I reveal what needs to be.” And what he means by that is what the French call “Toute vérité n’est pas bonne à dire.” (Some things are better left unsaid.)
On a lighter note Cyrus advises, “Be the best version of yourself — be articulate, laugh at the right time and then slowly reveal your pathetic-ness.”