be oneself

Verb

be oneself (third-person singular simple present is oneself, present participle being oneself, simple past was oneself, past participle been oneself)

1. (idiomatic) To behave or act naturally, without regard to how this behavior is perceived by others.
   • All you have to do is be yourself.
   • I've heard players saying I am like a different person this season and it's true. When you are back with the team you can be yourself again, you can join in the fun and express yourself more normally.2015 October 3, Paul Wilson, quoting Arouna Koné, “Fighting fit Arouna Koné making the most of his comeback for Everton”, in The Observer, London: Guardian News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from...
2. (idiomatic) To be as one usually is, as opposed to being sick, depressed, etc.
   • What's wrong? You're not yourself today.
   • At that moment it seemed to me that everything was possible for Monica and me; and going up to her I said, "I've never seen you like this!" With her eyes still closed she said, "I'm not myself today!" She began to laugh. Then I began to laugh, because of what we had both said, and because of her...2011 November 6, Steven Millhauser, “Miracle Polish”, in The New Yorker, New York, N.Y.: Condé Nast Publications, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 02 Jun 2023