Xandar Gordon
In our day-to-day lives, we often meet people who stand out to us as exceptionally authentic.
They come across this way because they aren’t hiding who they really are; they have a transparent personality.
This article will detail 10 signs that you have a transparent personality, and why that’s a good thing, even if sometimes it’s difficult.
10 signs you have a transparent and authentic personality
1) You wear your heart on your sleeve
A big sign that you’re transparent is your ability to wear your heart on your sleeve.
Nothing stops you from putting it on the line, risking it all, and living life in a straightforward, honest, and genuine way.
Yeah, sometimes it comes back to bite you. No one said wearing your heart on your sleeve was easy, but that doesn’t stop you. In fact, you wear it proudly, for all to see.
If people tell you that you wear your heart on your sleeve, it’s a good hint that you’ve got a transparent personality.
Just remember, that’s a good thing.
2) Embarrassed, who’s embarrassed?
It’s not exactly that you’re completely shameless, but it’s rare for you to get embarrassed. You act kooky, say silly things, and aren’t afraid to just be your true self.
Even if that means your friends, coworkers, family, or anybody around has to be embarrassed for you. At the end of the day, you’re not ashamed of who you are. Embracing yourself and all your quirks, humor, and free spirit is one of your hallmark traits.
Essentially, you let people see you—in all your glory.
That’s brave and wonderful. It means you have a transparent personality, and self-expression is an integral part of who you are.
3) You aren’t ashamed of who you are
There’s nothing to hide behind if you have a transparent personality. That may sound scary, but when you’ve got nothing to hide, there’s nothing to be afraid of.
In other words, you aren’t ashamed of who you are. Yeah, you have problems, sure you’ve made mistakes, but that doesn’t stop you from having a personality that people can see immediately.
If you’re not ashamed of who you are, why hide? It’s a big reason why you have a transparent personality. It’s one of your biggest strengths, don’t be afraid to play into it (and help others embrace who they really are).
Wondering if your boyfriend is ashamed of you? Here’s a look at 12 ways he might be.
4) Hurt before, but you’re still authentic
A big reason I’ve at times retreated into myself and hidden away my true personality was because I was hurt.
Being hurt by someone can, obviously, cause a lot of pain. Some people hide that pain or learn to withhold that part of themselves as a defense mechanism. They build up walls to protect themselves from being hurt again.
It’s only natural and in many cases a healthy coping and healing mechanism.
However, if you’re like me and you’ve got a transparent personality, you’ll only hideaway for as long as it takes to heal. (Many times I’ve been transparent about the fact that I’ve been hurt, too.)
Once you’re done healing, you’re back to your true self. Once again you can be 100% authentic, transparent, and everyone can see you for who you really are.
As a transparent person, you know that this process can be difficult, and it’s harder than hiding away in defense, but you also know that it’s so worth it.
Here’s a look at some more habits that highly authentic people keep.
5) You aren’t afraid to admit your mistakes
Being transparent isn’t about being haughty. No one likes a loud, grating personality that only cares about themself.
Some transparent people might be like this, but not all of them. Being transparent isn’t about being the center of attention and only celebrating yourself.
It’s about being honest, straight up, and never hiding who you really are.
In other words, if you’ve got a transparent personality, you aren’t afraid to admit your mistakes.
We all make them. Sometimes they’re really big ones, and we have to pay the price. But we fess up to them.
Just as you aren’t ashamed of your best qualities, you aren’t ashamed of your low points. This balanced view of yourself makes for a healthy self-image.
6) You aren’t afraid to apologize—but not for who you are
Part of admitting mistakes is also realizing the damage they cause to other people. Apologizing is important; making amends is more important.
Anyone can apologize, but actions speak louder than words. As an authentic and transparent person, you are able to own up to your mistakes and make amends for the wrong you’ve done.
On the flip side, though, you’re not likely to apologize for who you intrinsically are. With a transparent personality, you’re able to fully embrace what makes you an individual, and there’s no shame there.
Apologizing for the quality of your character indicates shame, and when you’ve got a transparent personality, there’s no shame to be had.
7) You connect with people eye to eye
This point is about more than just making eye contact. When you see people, you’re able to see them for who they really are. People around you feel seen by you. Sometimes it makes them uncomfortable, especially if they’re used to hiding.
Sometimes, though, it makes them feel accepted and understood. As a genuine person, you’re able to connect with people eye to eye. You may not have lived their lives, but you have the empathy and ability to feel for them.
It’s a big sign you’ve got a transparent personality. It’s one of the best traits, too: be proud of it. People will love you for it.
Having a transparent personality doesn’t mean you’re shallow, though. Often people who have transparent personalities also have incredible depth. Here’s a look at some signs of a deep and complex personality.
8) What you see is what you get—for better or worse
Some people just won’t like you. You’ve accepted this fact and honestly, it doesn’t bother you in the slightest.
There are some people who are just a little bit too preoccupied with being liked. In order to fit in with a crowd or with a friend group, they adjust their personality. In other words, they hide who they are.
And hiding isn’t something that people with transparent personalities do. It’s just not in their nature to pretend that they’re something they’re not, whether to fit in, avoid confrontation, or make friends.
Essentially, if you have a “take me as I am” mentality, you’re likely to have a transparent personality. “What you see is what you get” describes you.
This sometimes means burning bridges, losing potential friends, and facing confrontation head on. It’s not that you insist on being contradictory, it’s just that you’re not into changing who you are to fit in.
As someone with a transparent personality, this is just one of your many facets (and we all can see them).
People who are true to themselves and have a transparent personality often have high integrity. Here’s a great look at some awesome traits of people with true integrity.
9) You’re always accepting of other people
Here’s the thing: acceptance leads to transparency. Sometimes it can be hard to allow ourselves to show who we really are. It often takes an environment, a person, or an upbringing of safety for someone to reveal their inner self.
People with transparent personalities may not always have been that way. They could owe their honesty and confidence to a single person, an environment, something they’ve read, heard, or anything similar.
In other words, these kinds of people are all about acceptance. Allowing people to express themselves and feel safe about it leads to self-confidence and transparency.
So if you are accepting of other people, genuinely interested in finding out who they are deep inside, you’re probably a bit of a transparent person yourself.
10) People think you’re emotional
Nobody is rational all the time. We as humans are peculiarly emotional beings. We are prone to irrationality, along with intense feelings. Sometimes they make sense, and sometimes they don’t.
To think otherwise is to be in denial. Of course, there’s no benefit in throwing tantrums all the time or allowing emotions to control our lives like some chaotic roller coaster about to fly off the tracks.
But here’s the bottom line: expressing emotion is good. It’s cathartic. It allows us to work through our feelings and in the end be far more rational than if we bottled it all up.
Or if we hid it away from the light of day.
So if people think you’re emotional, it could be because you’re transparent. You don’t care if people see you showing strong emotions. You’d rather stay true to yourself and wear your heart on your sleeve.
It’s true, being transparent might sound intimidating, scary, maybe even undesirable. In fact, though, it’s a beautiful thing, and people with transparent personalities are often the most genuine of all.
Here’s a look at why having a transparent personality is such a great thing.
Why that’s a great thing
You invite trust and credibility. People don’t have to question who you are, or what drives you. That’s because you’ve already told them.
Whether explicitly or not, they can see right through you—you let them. This makes them trust you; it gives you all kinds of credibility. That’s honestly such a great thing.
People don’t have to wonder who you really are. You take all of the guesswork out of it. There’s no need for anyone to wonder and question “is this person really who they say they are?”
They can tell almost immediately that you are genuine, authentic, and you mean everything that you say. This not only lends to your trustworthiness, it also connects people to your insincere and often immediate ways.
You’re looked up to. Because of the fact that people can see you for who you really are, they look up to you—oftentimes immediately. Not everyone has a transparent personality, and not everyone can be completely open about who they really are.
Therefore, people look up to you for that. They want to emulate your example. In many ways, having a transparent personality makes you a leader.
People learn from you. In a similar way to being looked up to, people can learn from you. Your earnest authenticity is something that everyone can strive to be more like.
Even if you’re quirky, strange, and people don’t “get” you, there’s still a lesson for them to learn. You teach by example, and people have to listen. Having a transparent personality is a fantastic thing.
It makes you really brave. Like I’ve mentioned before, it’s not always easy having a transparent personality. It opens you up to potential pain, betrayal, and hurt. In that way, it makes you braver than most.
Instead of hiding, licking your wounds, and putting up defensive walls, you use your experiences to ground yourself, even more, dig your claws in and fight harder. You wear your battle scars proudly for all to see. Not everyone can be as brave as you.
Wrapping up
Clearly, having a transparent personality can be a blessing and a curse. It takes bravery, strength, and fearlessness to be vulnerable around everyone you meet. However, the reward is well worth it.
There’s nothing better than embracing your true self, wearing your heart on your sleeve, and letting the world see you for who you really are: unapologetically you.
