Being two different people

1. The book

Machiavelli’s The Prince is one of the most famous works in political philosophy and it deals very directly with the idea of presenting yourself differently to different people. It's not about being two people rather about being a million different people to whoever you talk to in reality. Not everyone is the same, this is a strange habit humans have picked up recently. Our brains are so complex, we will often act differently around every kind of person. I like doing that, i'll to a stranger I meet in the street but I'm the kind of person to never even think about lying to my friends or my parents. this isn't some kind of new discovery we've been doing this for generations.

The core idea is something many of us are familiar with- personal appearances oftentimes matter more than any opinion you have possibly well. Think of Reagan and Mondale. A ruler doesn’t have to be good , he just has to appear good. 

There’s often a “private self” that no one really sees fully, Maybe you have opinions, interests, or a side hustle you don’t share with friends, family, or work. You might act very agreeable at work but vent in private. You could be politically outspoken online under a pseudonym but stay neutral in person. Many people have secret hate accounts they don't hold or tell anybody else about, or things they just straight up lie about when it comes to the internet. People have spams because they don't want to mess up their feed. People make alternative private accounts they only want their friends or family to be on.

The truth is, you will never truly know a person, not even your own child or parents- except yourself. Because you are the only one who is truthful.

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2. How it's relevant

Humans naturally manage impressions because: We want acceptance from our groups (friends, family). We want opportunity from authority (boss, teachers). We want freedom to do what we like privately without risking judgment. Machiavelli just wrote the most famous guide to doing this deliberately for power. Most of us do it instinctively.

 Machiavelli argues that most people judge by appearances, not by truth — so a leader must craft the right persona to influence public opinion and maintain control. Machiavelli says that a ruler should be able to change his behavior depending on the situation. If being honest and just works — great. If not, the prince must be willing to lie, deceive, or act ruthlessly. This is about performing different roles depending on the audience or need.

“A prince must be a fox to recognize traps, and a lion to frighten wolves.”

The fox represents cunning and deception; the lion, strength and fear. A wise ruler uses both as needed — presenting different sides of themselves depending on whom they are dealing with. Extremely corny, I'm aware!

Machiavelli was one of the first Western thinkers to describe politics as amoral , a game of power, not ethics. His advice isn’t about how to be a good person , it’s about how to appear virtuous and strong, even if you aren’t. This directly relates to your question , The Prince is essentially a guide to managing perception and crafting strategic personas.

With friends, You’re relaxed, you joke about edgy topics, you show your unfiltered humor or hobbies. You stim every five seconds about something. You speak casually, use slang, and reveal personal stuff because you trust them. Its different than maybe with your  parents. You shift your tone. You’re more respectful, polite, maybe downplay certain habits or interests (like partying or dating) to maintain their approval. You emphasize your responsible side “I’m doing well in school/work,” Of course, this is all up to how good your relationship with your parents are. Oftentimes parents can also be as good as best friends. With a boss You become even more formal. You highlight your work ethic, reliability, and professionalism. You don’t show them your wild sense of humor or admit to lazy weekends. You don't tell them you're calling off to watch that new movie that came out or because you don't want to get out of bed, This is basically the modern version of Machiavelli’s “fox and lion” metaphor.

This is like Machiavelli’s advice: “A prince must learn how not to be good” meaning you can privately hold views or behaviors that you don’t publicly display because they could harm your image or goals. Who you are, oftentimes doesn't matter. This isn't positive, it isn't negative. Who you are doesn't matter to a stranger on the street, or the big CEO you've spoken to twice. Your opinions, interests, hobbies dont matter unless you make them matter. 

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Whether you're more towards the nihilistic, or existentialism side of that statement really matters. Even that- you might not tell anybody. However there is one thing everyone eventually comes to agreement on, that's whether everything matters, or nothing matters.