Answers · By Sun Yi, creator of the Myth Sandwich
How can I be authentic without oversharing?
Short answerYou don't have to share your private life to be authentic. Share your opinions and point of view, and when you are vulnerable, point the finger at yourself, not at others.
Private vs Personal
- There is a difference between being personal and being private.
- You can share your opinion on your industry or how you see the world, and that is personal.
- People follow you for your point of view, not because they know everything about your life.
Oversharing vs Authentic
- If you are sharing out of trauma, that is not the authentic you.
- Work through raw stories in a safe place with people you trust first.
- When you are vulnerable in public, make sure you are pointing the finger at yourself, not at everyone else.
In Sun's words
Vague stories feel safe. When someone says "I have impostor syndrome" or "I feel like I'm not good enough," that's cliche. Everyone says it. It sounds vulnerable but it isn't, because it's not specific. When you say "I'm a yogi who smokes" or "I had an affair" — now that's specific. That's original. That's actually vulnerable. The more specific you make it, the more it costs you to say it, and the more it lands for the person hearing it. At Night Owl Nation, our goal is to keep pushing toward that. Over time, your comfort zone moves. What felt too exposed starts to feel normal. That's how you grow as a storyteller.
▶ Watch Sun explain thisThere's also a difference between being personal and being private. You don't have to share your private life to have personality in your brand. You can share your opinion on AI, on your industry, on how you see the world. That is personal. People follow you because they're buying into your opinions and your point of view — not because they know everything about your personal life. So be authentic without oversharing. Bring your character into everything you say. Just make sure when you're being vulnerable, you're pointing the finger at yourself, not at everyone else.
▶ Watch Sun explain thisTry itWrite one opinion you have about your industry in Story Bank and save it as a story.
This answer comes from Sun Yi's Story Bank Library.
The full Library has thousands of Sun's stories and lessons, plus Sun Bot to help you write your own. Get it with Night Owl Nation or Story Bank.
Join Night Owl NationSign up for Story Bank