I am a Human, Not a Brand: Reclaiming Authenticity in an Era of Self-Promotion

I am not a cattle to have a signature with a logo and a beautiful font stapled to my ear.

We are living in a nonstop society where marketing has transcended to a whole new level — the self-marketing of individuals.

Every day, we are bombarded with messages on how we need to brand ourselves as if we were corporate entities, constantly adapting and crafting our persona to please the masses.

It wasn’t so long ago that only companies utilized advertising for branding purposes, but now it’s become an expectation for us as individuals to do the same.

This idea irks me to my core, blurring the lines between individuality and commercialization.

What happened to embracing our unique selves without conforming to societal expectations?

What is the definition of branding? The whole idea of branding is to sell, sell, and sell. According to Entrepreneur.com:

“Branding is a marketing practice of creating a name, symbol, or design that identifies and differentiates a product from other products.

…this name, symbol, or design that is identifiable as the company signature.

An effective brand strategy gives you a major edge in competitive markets.”

After reading these definitions I concluded that branding is turning individuals into “a company” or some kind of “product.”

The idea to brand yourself is to find some specific issue or a niche and then try to achieve “the influencer or celebrity status” by organizing your whole life around that niche, spending hours on social media promoting it, to get visibility and earn “celebrity status.”

The whole idea of branding is about ego-driven psychology and hustling that has nothing to do with your authentic self. It is all about money.

If you think about it, you as a person adapt yourself to this new niche persona with a logo, website, or even a font.

Stacey Lastoe explains in her article Screw Personal Branding I am a person not a product with words:

“ Branding requires you to find a signature image, a unique voice, and a recognizable standard that your readers, fans, and customers can grow to recognize,” and I grow increasingly confused. How weird is this desire to have fans just for being a polished-up version of yourself? And to curate them based on the pictures you post and the 160-character bio you conceived?”

I agree with her.

As you begin to construct a false sense of self, fueled by your ego’s desires, you start down a path of self-destruction.

The thrill of an ego trip may seem enticing, but it ultimately leads to the death of your soul. I refuse to succumb to this toxic lifestyle, no matter who tries to persuade me otherwise.

You do not want to live a life based on some gimmicks or improve yourself through some marketing tricks. It is unauthentic and you are selling your soul away.

What to do instead?

We are not companies or factories to be branding ourselves. This is another scam of the capitalistic society we live in. Instead, be yourself by using your creativity to improve your craft or skill every day if you want recognition.

We need to start learning how to be. By showing our talents without the need for self-promotion or branding. The same concept was introduced centuries ago during Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Vincent Van Gogh's era when those artists were more rejected than praised. But they cared only about their art and their passion.

I want to be recognized for my skill or talent not because I am a personal brand.

I don’t want some niche because I am curious about a lot of things in this beautiful world.

Why should I want to be one specific brand?

I want to be me.

The authentic me.

I am not a cattle to have a signature with a logo and a beautiful font stapled to my ear.

I do not need to impress anyone or to pretend with fakeness how the next thing I am promoting or selling to you is the best in this world and you must have it.

For me, it sounds unauthentic and I refuse to be a part of these scams.

The marketing must change. I don’t use any social media. Yes, I do have some accounts, but I am not using them.

I find Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, and Facebook to be a waste of time. The only videos I watch on YouTube are informational or educational ones. I don’t have a TV either.

I have no interest in watching funny cat or dog videos. And don’t even get me started on TikTok and their mindless 30-second clips.

They say teenagers experience a dopamine rush from social media, but I fail to see how anyone can be addicted to these pointless and foolish videos.

Do these activities give them a rush of dopamine?

I find it annoying and dull. It has the opposite effect on me compared to teenagers. To me, it’s just plain boring.

It makes me wonder if those kids have never experienced the real joys of living life in the moment.

That is why I believe Social Media is a time-waster. I would rather read books or work in my garden than spend my precious time on social media.

Recently, I’ve found myself unable to read articles on Medium without having to actively search for my favorite writers or topics. Their algorithm constantly recommends irrelevant content to me, making it exhausting to scroll and search through countless articles.

I share things that I genuinely enjoy, not because I want to promote myself. Medium is an ideal platform for sharing things that inspire and motivate us, as well as things that we find beautiful.

I am a human, not a brand.

Even as companies continue to create new brands, I will remain true to myself and present my ideas and experiences without any flashy logos, special fonts, or unique voices.

My goal is simply to share my perspective on this wonderful life with others, without trying to sell anything to anyone.