What if showing yourself also has a cost? Personal brand, narcissism, and communication on LinkedIn
What I learned when I started writing (and that will help you). A synthesis of what I understood by exposing myself in this space: the good, what hurts, and what must be looked at carefully.
What I learned when I started writing (and that will help you too).
Starting to write articles for LinkedIn was an impulse that combined the urge to share with a lot of doubt. I talked about it in therapy, and it helped me see more clearly where that urge was coming from: did I want to share ideas, or did I need validation?
That question was key. It helped me organize what I wanted to say, adjust my expectations, and above all, be honest with myself. Because yes, the first texts got little reach, and of course that touched my narcissism.
But I kept writing because I like the process: researching, thinking, writing. That's what sustains me. And while it feels good when things work, I understood that it's not all about that.
This article is a summary of what I've come to understand by exposing myself in this space: the good, what hurts, and what deserves a closer look.
The upside of showing up: why do it at all?
First of all: showing up also has its value. Not everything is vanity. Sometimes sharing what we know or what we've lived can be a powerful way to add to the conversation and position ourselves more clearly in the professional world.
In a competitive world, where there's more talent than visible windows, communication has become part of the job. You don't just do the work — you also need to tell people what you do, and why it matters.
Some real benefits:
- •Visibility and positioning: showing your work puts you on the radar of the right people.
- •Trust and authority: sharing what you know reinforces your credibility.
- •Inspiration for others: many times, your experiences resonate more than you think.
- •Professional network: when you speak honestly, you attract people on the same wavelength.
- •Internal satisfaction: writing and sharing can also be a way to organize your ideas and acknowledge your own journey.
In my case, writing was a way to think out loud and stay close to something I'm passionate about. But it was also key to understand that communication isn't a luxury, nor is it inherently a narcissistic act. It's simply part of how we connect with the professional world today.
Narcissistic traps: when image weighs more than substance
It's one thing to want to share what you know. It's a very different thing to get trapped in the need to be seen. That's the narcissistic trap: when your sense of self-worth starts depending too much on how much attention you generate.
According to authors like Kohut and Kernberg, this can happen when we use other people's gaze to prop up our self-esteem. If the applause comes, we feel strong. But if nobody reacts, something crumbles inside. It's an emotional back-and-forth that wears you down.
At that point, a subtle but important confusion can show up:
On one side, there is "the person I'd like to be": successful, clear, inspiring, always relevant.
On the other, there is that inner voice that judges you mercilessly on whether you're living up to that image: if your post doesn't perform, if nobody comments, if you fall short of the expectations you set for yourself.
That's where the game gets dangerous. Because you can end up working harder to maintain the image than to enjoy the process or truly connect.
The problem isn't wanting to show yourself. The problem is when that image becomes a kind of character you have to keep feeding all the time — even when you don't feel like it, even when it doesn't look much like you anymore.
And then, what started as communication turns into performance. And what was a tool becomes a mask.
Knowing how to read the algorithm: using exposure without becoming its hostage
These days, what circulates most isn't always what's deepest. The social media algorithm rewards whatever generates clicks, quick emotion, easy-to-share phrases. Knowing that isn't giving up: it's understanding the rules of the game so you don't get lost in it.
Because once you understand how it works, you can do two important things:
Regulate your narcissism
If you know that the numbers don't always reflect the real value of what you wrote, it's easier not to take it as a personal judgment. Success doesn't confirm your whole worth, and indifference doesn't erase you.
Use feedback to grow (not to depend on it)
Engagement can give you clues: which topics connect, which tone opens up dialogue, which parts resonate. Not to adapt yourself entirely to that, but to fine-tune your voice.
And one more thing: don't confuse reaction with recognition. Someone hitting "like" doesn't mean they've actually heard you. Sometimes the most transformative conversations aren't the most visible ones.
The algorithm has no empathy, but you can have it for yourself. And if you decide to show up, do it with your eyes open, knowing that this is also an emotional practice.
The side nobody tells you about: exposing yourself can also hurt
Not everything in this game is growth and recognition. Exposing yourself also makes you vulnerable. To criticism, to judgment, to indifference. And that can hurt, especially if you're putting your personal worth on the line.
That is why, before you post, ask yourself:
Am I ready for what comes if this doesn't work out the way I expect?
Not to silence yourself, but to take care of yourself.
Yes, build your brand. But do it with awareness.
- •Not everything visible has value, and not all value is visible.
- •Question yourself: where am I showing up from? What for?
- •Measure your exposure with judgment: is it bringing you anything real?
- •Learn to alternate visibility with pause. Not everything has to be told. You don't have to have an opinion about everything.
- •Take care of your identity beyond the character. Be strategic, but don't lose sight of yourself.
Use exposure as a tool,
not as a refuge.
Now that you know all this, you can go for it
Exposing yourself isn't an easy path. But you don't have to freeze up over it either. It's simply about not being naive. Now that you know what's at stake, what can hurt, and what can help you grow, you're in a better position to decide how and when to show up.
If you decide to do it, do it with honesty, strategy, and care. Because once you understand the terrain, you can also protect yourself as you move forward.
And then, yes: write, share, publish. But do it from a place where you still have the final say on who you are.
