A story about how the conclusion to my worries was completely different

Regarding my worries about my "strong-willed nature," I had thought, "This worry is over!" but what my boss said after I told them about my train of thought left such an impression on me that I decided to write it down.

At my workplace, there is a middle-aged man named Mr. N who has a "go my own way" kind of vibe.

He has an incredibly loud voice, talks to everyone, and engages in cheerful, sexually harassing communication, but he isn't disliked just because "that's Mr. N."

If Mr. N were to think, "I have to lower my voice to match everyone else" or "I have to be selective about who I talk to," he would no longer be his natural self.

If someone who knew the original Mr. N saw that, they would think, "Is Mr. N feeling unwell? Is he okay?"

When you don't know Mr. N, you might be a little surprised at first, but since you can tell he has no ill intent and just wants to communicate in a fun way, you eventually come to accept him and get along with him, thinking, "Mr. N is just that kind of person."

My boss says that my "strong-willed nature" might be the same thing.

People might be surprised at first by how bluntly I speak, but if they communicate with me, they will understand that I don't have any malice or mean-spirited feelings, and in fact, they will realize that I am often saying things to make things better.

Despite that, I was told that if I worry about things like "trying to accept other people's opinions for once" or "trying to listen to others' opinions first," my good qualities might end up being hidden.

I was told things like, "If you think about too many things, you won't be able to be yourself, so you shouldn't think about it," and "It's fine to admire anyone you want, but you can't change who you are just by admiring them, so you shouldn't try to become something other than yourself."

What I should be doing is not hiding my strong-willed nature to conform to those around me, but rather saying what I think as soon as I think it, pushing my identity as a "strong-willed person" to the forefront, and making sure everyone recognizes it.

It was completely different from the conclusion I had reached (lol).