73.        The advice to act naturally or follow one's instincts can, admittedly, be helpful
advice for someone torn between difficult career or personal choices in life. In most
situations, however, following this advice would neither be wise nor sensible. Following
one's own instincts should be tempered by codes of behavior appropriate to the situation
at hand.
      First of all, doing what comes naturally often amounts to impulsive overreaction
and irrational behavior, based on emotion. Everyone experiences impulses from time to
time, such as hitting another person, quitting one's job, having an extramarital affair,
and so forth. People who act however they please or say whatever is on their mind
without thinking about consequences, especially without regard to social situation, may
offend and alienate others. At the workplace, engaging in petty gossip, sexual
harassment, or back-stabbing might be considered "natural"; yet such behavior can be
destructive for the individuals at the receiving end as well as for the company. And in
dealings with foreign business associates, what an American might find natural or
instinctive, even if socially acceptable here, might be deeply insulting or confusing to
somebody from another culture.
      Second, doing what comes naturally is not necessarily in one's own best interests.
The various behaviors cited above would also tend to be counterproductive for the
person engaging in them. "Natural" behavior could prove deadly to one's career, since
people who give little thought before they act cannot be trusted in a Job that requires
effective relationships with important clients, colleagues, and others.
      Third, the speaker seems to suggest that you should be yourself, then act
accordingly—in that order. But we define ourselves in large measure by our actions.
Young adults especially lack a clear sense of self. How can you be yourself if you don't
know who you are? Even for mature adults, the process of evolving one's concept of
self is a perpetual one. In this respect, then, the speaker's recommendation does not
make much sense.
      In sum, one should not follow the speaker's advice universally or too literally. For
unless a person's instincts are to follow standard rules of social and business etiquette,
natural behavior can harm others as well as constrain one's own personal and
professional growth.