We’re heavily influenced by the opinions and actions of others, and sometimes we even pretend to be things we’re not—usually just to fit in. It’s easy to forget who you truly are and what really matters to you when you spend all your time around other people.

Alone time cleans the slate. It washes away outside influences and lets you see behind your own masks.

When you step back from society, even briefly, your ego begins to fade. The ego is a protective shell, shaped largely by how we want others to perceive us.

But who are you when there’s no one to impress — when you’re alone and the imagined reactions of others go silent? Who are you in a quiet room, or walking through the woods, when no one is watching?

That version of you is less bound by expectations.

When no one else is around, that’s often when we’re most honest.