History Main / PainfulPersona

* ''WesternAnimation/TheLionKing2SimbasPride'': The main villain Zira indoctrinated her pride to believe that her son Kovu is Scar's heir. Kovu himself learns thanks to Kiara and the other animals of the Pride Lands that he's much more than the carbon copy of Simba's uncle and he eventually learns to become the opposite of him to the point that remarking about their alleged similarity becomes his BerserkButton.

--->'''Makoto:''' Don't get all cocky just because I normally behave myself. I am '''DONE''' playing nice!

* ''Literature/BofuriIDontWantToGetHurtSoIllMaxOutMyDefense'': Mii [[TheRolePlayer usually plays the role of the strong-willed, charismatic leader]] of the Flame Emperors guild whenever she's playing ''[=NewWorld=] Online''. When she's by herself however, she's quick to drop her ContraltoOfDanger and reveal a [[NervousWreck squeaky-voiced, almost timid girl]] who, while still capable of kicking ass, [[BrokenAce is a constant mess of insecurities]].

* ''LightNovel/TheGeniusPrincesGuideToRaisingANationOutOfDebtHeyHowAboutTreason'': Wein, the wise prince of Natra, is loved by his people for being a kind, benevolent leader, etc. Who is actually a lazy bum who would want nothing more than to sell his own "dirt poor" kingdom to the highest bidder he can find. Unfortunately, due to his position as the prince, he has to be careful about he goes about carrying out this plan, lest he causes an uprising. As such, while any situation he gets into usually ends up benefitting his kingdom, [[UnluckilyLucky almost nothing happens to benefit him directly]], leaving him stuck in a perpetual cycle.

* ''LightNovel/TheGeniusPrincesGuideToRaisingANationOutOfDebtHeyHowAboutTreason'': Wein, the wise prince of Natra who is loved by his people for being a kind, benevolent leader, etc. Who is actually a lazy bum who would want nothing more than to sell his own "dirt poor" kingdom to the highest bidder he can find. Unfortunately, due to his position as the prince, he has to be careful about he goes about carrying out this plan, lest he causes an uprising. As such, while any situation he gets into usually ends up benefitting his kingdom, [[UnluckilyLucky almost nothing happens to benefit him directly]], leaving him stuck in a perpetual cycle.
* Damon Knight's short story "[[https://tccwrite.blogspot.com/2010/10/handler-story-of-human-imperfection.html The Handler]]": A large, charismatic, LifeOfTheParty actor named Pete is revealed to be a MobileSuitHuman piloted by a tiny, unattractive man called Fred. Fred tries to interact with people, but it's obvious they don't particularly care for him, and eventually he's outright told to get back in the suit before he can completely kill the mood.

-->'''Isabela:''' ({{Gasp}}) ''[[ITakeOffenceToThatLastOne Selfish]]?!'' I've been ''stuck'' being ''perfect'' my ''whole entire life''!

* ''Manga/DetroitMetalCity'', is about Souchi Negishi, a laid-back NiceGuy who likes romantic music and dreams of joining a pop music band, but currently can't because he ended up joining the infamous ThrashMetal band [[TitleDrop Detroit Metal City]] taking on the name Demon King Johannes Krauser II. The series follows Souchi as [[HilarityEnsues he tries, and fails]], to live the modest, easygoing life he wants while performing as the obscene Demon King who loves blood and gore and has a penchant for raping anyone or anything that catches his eye (despite the fact that Souchi himself is a virgin).
* Downplayed and zigzagged in regards to Teruhashi from ''Manga/TheDisastrousLifeOfSaikiK''. Being the WorldsMostBeautifulWoman, she always pretends to be a perfect lovable maiden when outside, when in truth she's a BitchInSheepsClothing AttentionWhore. That being said, she does take pride in her "perfect girl" persona and will go to great lengths to do what she feels is necessary to maintain it such as going to a poor, greasy noodle shop with her classmates, or forcing herself to memorize every single detail about all of her fans at school, regardless of how she actually feels about it. Ironically enough, it's actually this part of her personality alongside her later developed JerkWithAHeartOfGold tendencies that actually help earn her the respect of the titular psychic Saiki who, due to PowerIncontinence, both [[{{Telepathy}} knows her true personality]] and [[XrayVision can't even perceive her beauty]], who she just so happens to be in love with.
* ''Manga/OnePunchMan'': King is one of the strongest heroes around, has killed multiple high-tier monsters, able to terrorize monsters into surrendering just by looking stoically at them or leaving them to hear the "DOOM DOOM DOOM" of his King Engine long enough. [[spoiler:He's actually a perfectly mundane human, his stoic face is simply that he's too terrified to show any emotions, the King Engine is actually the abnormally-loud beating of his heart (again, in fear), and his victories were actually the result of his coincidentally being near Saitama's victims before Saitama registered as a hero]]. All King wants to do is be left alone and play his eroges in peace, but keeps up the charade because it gave people such hope to think the monsters could be defeated. Fortunately he ends up becoming friends with Saitama, greatly improving his chances of survival.
* ''Who Decided That Blues Had To Be Cool!?'' is a [[YuriGenre yuri]] MagicalGirl manga focused on the life of [[BlueIsHeroic Blue Magical Knight Azurite]] (real name: Azusa Gunjou). As the "blue character" in the lineup, she is under the belief that she needs to be the cool level-headed mature type when she is actually a rather childish {{Otaku}}. Her partner [[MentorMascot Poryu]] tries to tell her that she can just BeYourself, but she refuses due to being fully committed to what she believes is the general consensus.

* In the aftermath of the ''ComicBook/TransformersAllHailMegatron'' and subsequent revitalisation of Cybertron, Optimus Prime reveals that he's long gotten weary of having to put up a façade of stoic nobility but continued to do so because he was aware of how important to morale he was. With tensions between the Autobots and returning Neutrals at an all-time high, he offers to resign as Autobot leader and exile himself in exchange for de-escalation of hostilities. As he was seen as a living symbol of the just-concluded war, the Neutrals agree and Optimus departs, feeling lighter than he has in centuries thanks to finally being able to be ''Orion Pax'' again.

* In ''FanFic/TheRiseOfDarthVulcan'', Ted ([[TomTheDarkLord who becomes the emponymous]] EvilOverlord) spent the years between starting high school and present pretending to be a stereotypical JerkJock, despite being as nerdy as they come. He lets this other side come out strictly on Halloween since it's "socially acceptable" to spend hundreds of dollars on a Halloween costume, but not cosplay. A single bad night ousts him as a nerd (and worse, everyone thinks he likes [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic a certain little girl's cartoon]]), which sparks the plot.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Aladdin}}'' spends most of his debut film pretending to be TheAce Prince Ali Ababwa in order to make himself appear a suitable husband for Princess Jasmine, but this drives him to lie repeatedly to those he loves, especially when he finds out that, since marrying her will make him [[HeirInLaw the next Sultan]], he has a ton of massive responsibilities that weigh him down, making him feel that in order to maintain the pretence of royalty, he has to break his promise to use his third wish for FreeingTheGenie. Ultimately, after being exposed and stripped of all his masks by [[BigBad Jafar]], Aladdin realizes his mistake in not being honest with Jasmine and the Sultan that he was a poor street urchin from the start, and finally keeps his promise to the Genie, even if he knows there's a good chance he won't be able to marry Jasmine anymore.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheLionKing2SimbasPride'': the main villain Zira indoctrinated her pride to believe that her son Kovu is Scar's heir. Kovu himself learns thanks to Kiara and the other animals of the Pride Lands that he's much more than the carbon copy of Simba's uncle and he eventually learns to become the opposite of him to the point that remarking about their alleged similarity becomes his BerserkButton.

* ''Film/{{Blonde}}'' is a biopic about Norma Jeane Mortenson, a lovely blonde girl who is catapulted into stardom, and given the stage name Marilyn Monroe. Though the cameras and the press see a happy Marilyn loving the spotlight, in quieter moments, Marilyn longs to return to being Norma Jeane: a simple girl living peacefully settled down with hearth and home. "Marilyn doesn't exist. When I come out of my dressing room, I'm Norma Jeane."

* Mii from ''Literature/BofuriIDontWantToGetHurtSoIllMaxOutMyDefense'' [[TheRolePlayer usually plays the role of the strong-willed, charismatic leader]] of the Flame Emperors guild whenever she's playing ''[=NewWorld=] Online''. When she's by herself however, she's quick to drop her ContraltoOfDanger and reveal a [[NervousWreck squeaky-voiced, almost timid girl]] who, while still capable of kicking ass, [[BrokenAce is a constant mess of insecurities]].
* Literature/CiaphasCain: Zigzagged: Cain (who has a reputation as a fearless Hero of the Imperium) ''claims'' to be a DirtyCoward who would book it on the first shuttle out of a warzone if it wasn't for all the witnesses around and the loss of status and reputation it would entail, but multiple times throughout the series he does the right thing even when there's no one to see it. It doesn't help that every single time he tries to worm his way out of a fight (such as inspecting an out-of-the-way post, staying at the headquarters instead of joining the front, exploring abandoned tunnels, etc.) he ends up thwarting an enemy ambush, foiling an assassination attempt, or stumbling upon awakening Necron forces. He also mentions not being averse to being in the spotlight or being a LargeHam, and even Inquisitor Vail doesn't know whether he's a genuine hero with SelfDeprecation issues or a lucky coward.
* A deconstructed example occurs in ''Literature/ClassroomOfTheElite'' courtesy of [[spoiler:Kikyo Kushida]]. Realizing in middle school that [[NormalFishInATinyPond they weren't as good as they were praised to be]], they decided to become the [[ExtremeDoormat class gofer]] in a desperate attempt for [[AttentionWhore attention]]. This ends up causing them a great deal of stress that they could only relieve by venting about it on an online blog, only for said blog to be discovered by their classmates. Feeling cornered, they decided to air their classmates' dirty laundry as well, [[HatePlague effectively turning them against each other as well and causing the whole room to fall apart]].
* ''LightNovel/TheGeniusPrincesGuideToRaisingANationOutOfDebtHeyHowAboutTreason'' gives us Wein, wise prince of Natra who is loved by his people for being a kind, benevolent leader...who is actually a lazy bum who would want nothing more than to sell his own "dirt poor" kingdom to the highest bidder he can find. Unfortunately, due to his position as prince, he has to be careful about he goes about carrying out this plan, lest he cause an uprising. As such, while any situation he gets into usually ends up benefitting his kingdom, [[UnluckilyLucky almost nothing happens to benefit him directly]], leaving him stuck in a perpetual cycle.
* A variation in Damon Knight's short story "[[https://tccwrite.blogspot.com/2010/10/handler-story-of-human-imperfection.html The Handler]]": a large, charismatic, LifeOfTheParty actor named Pete is revealed to be a MobileSuitHuman piloted by a tiny, unattractive man called Fred. Fred tries to interact with people, but it's obvious they don't particularly care for him, and eventually he's outright told to get back in the suit before he can completely kill the mood.
* Manga/Overlord2012: Ainz Ooal Gown is an ancient and unfathomably powerful lich, whose intellect is matched only by his monstrous evil. Or rather, he's Satoru Suzuki's MMO character. When Satoru finds himself isekai'd into a world similar to the MMO with all his character's powers (but not his personality or intelligence), he finds himself trying his best to balance his responsibility to his underlings (formerly [[NonPlayerCharacter NPCs]], now empowered with intelligence according to the backstories written for them) with his status as a PersonOfMassDestruction, with no one to talk to or able to understand his situation.

* The lyrics to "Edge of Dawn", the main theme of ''VideoGame/FireEmblemThreeHouses'', imply that [[spoiler:Edelgard]] does not enjoy their [[spoiler:[[TheHeavy Flame Emperor]]]] persona and wishes they could live out their days at the academy with their friends in peace.
* While the appropriately named ''Franchise/{{Persona}}'' series is already known for its BeneathTheMask psychology, ''VideoGame/Persona4'' in particular focuses on characters desperately denying their Shadow's exaggerated, but otherwise accurate accusation of who they really are, which leads to [[BossBattle bosses]] where every Shadow begins by stating that they are the "true self."
** One stand-out example is IdolSinger Rise Kujikawa, who retires from her work due to believing that nobody cares about the real her. This belief is actually supplemented in-game when you meet her in person, as the fans who went to see her at her grandmother's tofu shop ''couldn't even recognize her'' from behind, especially with her now depressed mood at the time. It takes until after you defeat her shadow for her to regain her cheerful personality, and then it takes her Social Link for her to decide to return to her job.
* ''VideoGame/Persona5'' uses this trope differently. All the party members forced themselves to behave a certain way for the sake of society's expectations, or because someone in power made them. They're clearly not happy with the state of their lives but feel ItCantBeHelped. Their Shadows represent their repressed desire for rebellion, and when they emerge once their abusers [[MoralEventHorizon go a step too far]], the party members accept them near instantly, throwing off the yoke of society's expectations. A few members of the Phantom Thieves stand out:
** It's implied that the protagonist's mild-mannered, glasses-wearing {{Everyman}} persona is faked for the sake of not standing out, since the one time he followed his sense of justice and protected a woman being assaulted, the CorruptPolitician responsible [[ArrestedForHeroism framed him for assault and had him placed on probation]]. He acts [[LargeHam much flashier]] in his PhantomThief persona in the MentalWorld, and it's likely this is closer to his real self.
** Makoto Niijima's parents died when she was young, leaving her older sister the sole breadwinner of the family. So she has immense pressure to get a college recommendation and provide for the family, which leads to her becoming an ExtremeDoormat to the school's incompetent and corrupt principal. It's clear she doesn't enjoy her "honor student" persona, and the other students see her as an AcademicAlphaBitch and hate her for it. When she finally snaps during her Persona's awakening, it's clear she's been wanting to let off steam for a ''long'' time.
-->'''Makoto:''' Don't get all cocky just because I normally behave myself. I am '''DONE''' playing nice!
* ''VideoGame/ProjectSekai'' has Mafuyu Asahina, a seemingly kind, helpful, and responsible honor student who is actually something of an ExtremeDoormat when it comes to accommodating the needs and wishes of those around her. However, this is a StepfordSmiler persona that hides her reality: she is an EmptyShell and a BrokenAce who hates having to be a "good girl" all the time and wishes she could disappear. When the mask slips, she speaks with a CreepyMonotone, has DullEyesOfUnhappiness, and often gives her opinions with BrutalHonesty, which is a huge contrast from her nice girl persona.

* ''VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorneyJusticeForAll'' has a darker example with the ArcVillain of its final case, who ''hates'' the "sheep's clothing" part of their BitchInSheepsClothing act and genuinely revels in their true, [[TheSociopath sociopathic nature]], when they don't have to hide.

* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'', Slurm Cola spokesworm Slurms [=MacKenzie=] is an introvert, but since Slurm is marketed as a party drink, he is contractually obligated to party all day and all night, or else he gets fired. After forty years of this, he's so exhausted that his eyes are permanently bloodshot, and he ends up committing suicide by partying so hard that a tunnel collapses around him, crushing him.

Compare IJustWantToBeNormal, ItSucksToBeTheChosenOne, TrappedInVillainy, and TheChainsOfCommanding. Contrast what is basically TheWannabeIndex (minus the aforementioned ''normal'' one), BoisterousWeakling, and KnowNothingKnowItAll, where, for the most part, the characters actually ''believe'' they're something they're not. Also contrast ThePoorlyChosenOne and TheChosenZero, where it's actually ''other people'' who wish the character didn't have the role they have. See also SlaveToPR, where the character needs to simply maintain an image for the "general public" as opposed to practically everyone who knows them. Also see LovingAShadow and StopWorshippingMe. Can and ''will'' often overlap with RepressionNeverEndsWell.

* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'': Princess Celestia, the [[GodEmperor God Empress]] of Ponyville, is revealed to be one of these in later seasons. As the BigGood of her world and a symbol of hope, she ''constantly'' feels pressure to be polite, diplomatic, and kind to everyone she meets, to the point where a single moment without smiling can lead to serious repercussions. The episode "A Royal Problem" explores the trope in depth when Celestia and her sister Luna, the Princess of the Night, [[InAnotherMansShoes swap places]] for one day; Luna learns all about Celestia's burdens and how perpetually frustrated she feels--especially at not being able to express those frustrations to anyone. Add in the fact that Celestia is also compelled to be WillfullyWeak because she's terrified of the depths of her own strength and you have one miserable pony.

Believe it or not, being yourself is hard. Whether it's the people around us, or just society in general, there are often times where we are forced to become someone we're not. Thus, as you would expect from this "pressure," there are more than a couple where we feel that it's hard to breathe. Luckily, with the proper "ventilation" people can easily switch back and forth between personalities with little to no issues.

Subtrope of BeneathTheMask, the Painful Persona is when what a person has to ''pretend'' to be in front of others is so disassociated with who they are and/or who they "want" to be that they end up feeling like they're either being buried alive or trapped in a room with no ventilation. And try as they might to subdue their fear, frustrations, and/or any other negative emotions they might be feeling, the fact that the people around them are constantly forcing them into an unwanted role means that their grief will rarely relent. There are even times where this problem is self-enforced, the character deciding to do things beyond their capabilities simply because they feel like that's what people want.

Their reasons for keeping up this agonizing facade can vary. Some people are just too kindhearted to [[BrokenPedestal ruin people's dreams]]. Others DesperatelyCravesAffection to the point [[HatesTheJobLovesTheLimeLight that they'll do anything for attention]]. And hey, VillainWithGoodPublicity has to maintain their image somehow. Whatever their reason though, you can expect at least a good half of them to be ''constantly'' near the RageBreakingPoint, while the other half is full of [[StepfordSmiler Stepford Smilers]], at best.

Do note that while BecomingTheMask is still possible in these cases, a HeelFaceTurn will most likely result in a ReformedButNotTamed scenario, especially if the character [[BrutalHonesty no longer feels the need to hide their thoughts]], and a FaceHeelTurn...well...[[SanitySlippage they might be a little more cheerful than they were before]]. I mean look at how much they're [[LaughingMad laughing]] while they [[AxCrazy hack away at everyone with an rusty axe]]. Hehehe...[[ScrewThisImOuttaHere run...now]].

Compare IJustWantToBeNormal, ItSucksToBeTheChosenOne, TrappedInVillainy, and TheChainsOfCommanding. Contrast what is basically TheWannabeIndex (minus the aforementioned ''normal'' one), BoisterousWeakling, and KnowNothingKnowItAll, where, for the most part, the characters actually ''believe'' they're something they're not. Also contrast ThePoorlyChosenOne and TheChosenZero, where it's actually ''other people'' who wish the character didn't have the role they have. See also SlaveToPR, where the character needs to simply maintain a image for the "general public" as opposed to practically everyone who knows them. Also see LovingAShadow and StopWorshippingMe. Can and ''will'' often overlap with RepressionNeverEndsWell.

'''Due to the nature of this trope, beware of unmarked spoilers and no real life examples please.'''

* ''Manga/DetroitMetalCity'', is about Souchi Negishi, a laid back NiceGuy who likes romantic music and dreams of joining a pop music band, but currently can't because he ended joining the infamous ThrashMetal band [[TitleDrop Detroit Metal City]] taking on the name Demon King Johannes Krauser II. The series follows Souchi as [[HilarityEnsues he tries, and fails]], to live the modest, easy going life he wants while performing as the obscene Demon King who loves blood and gore and has a penchant for raping anyone or anything that catches his eye (despite the fact that Souchi himself is a virgin).
* Downplayed and zigzagged in regards to Teruhashi from ''Manga/TheDisastrousLifeOfSaikiK''. Being the WorldsMostBeautifulWoman, she always pretends to be a perfect lovable maiden when outside, when in truth she's a BitchInSheepsClothing AttentionWhore. That being said, she does take pride in her "perfect girl" persona and will go to great lengths to do what she feels is necessary to maintain it such as going to poor, greasy noodle shop with her classmates, or forcing herself to memorize every single detail about all of her fans at school, regardless of how she actually feels about it. Ironically enough, it's actually this part of her personality alongside her later developed JerkWithAHeartOfGold tendencies that actually help earn her the respect of the titular psychic Saiki who, due to PowerIncontinence, both [[{{Telepathy}} knows her true personality]] and [[XrayVision can't even perceive her beauty]], who she just so happens to be in love with.
* Manga/OnePunchMan: King is one of the strongest heroes around, has killed multiple high-tier monsters, able to terrorize monsters into surrendering just by looking stoically at them or leaving them to hear the "DOOM DOOM DOOM" of his King Engine long enough. [[spoiler:He's actually a perfectly mundane human, his stoic face is simply that he's too terrified to show any emotions, the King Engine is actually the abnormally-loud beating of his heart (again, in fear), and his victories were actually the result of his coincidentally being near Saitama's victims before Saitama registered as a hero]]. All King wants to do is be left alone and play his eroges in peace, but keeps up the charade because it gave people such hope to think the monsters could be defeated. Fortunately he ends up becoming friends with Saitama, greatly improving his chances of survival.
* ''Who Decided That Blues Had To Be Cool!?'' is a [[YuriGenre yuri]] MagicalGirl manga focused on the life of [[BlueIsHeroic Blue Magical Knight Azurite]] (real name: Azusa Gunjou). As the "blue character" in the lineup she is under the belief that she needs to be the cool level-headed mature type, when she is actually a rather childish {{Otaku}}. Her partner [[MentorMascot Poryu]] tries to tell her that she can just BeYourself, but she refuses due to being fully committed to what she believes the general consensus.

* In ''FanFic/TheRiseOfDarthVulcan'', Ted ([[TomTheDarkLord who becomes the emponymous]] EvilOverlord) spent the years between starting highschool and present pretending to be a stereotypical JerkJock, despite being as nerdy as they come. He lets this other side come out strictly on Halloween, since it's "socially acceptable" to spend hundreds of dollars on a Halloween costume, but not cosplay. A single bad night ousts him as a nerd (and worse, everyone thinks he likes [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic a certain little-girl's cartoon]]), which sparks the plot.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheLionKing2SimbasPride'': the main villain Zira indoctrinated her pride to believe that her son Kovu is Scar's heir. Kovu himself learns thanks to Kiara and the others animals of the Pride Lands that he's much more than the carbon copy of Simba's uncle and he eventually learns to become the opposite of him to the point that remarking about their alleged similarity becomes his BerserkButton.

* Mii from ''Literature/BofuriIDontWantToGetHurtSoIllMaxOutMyDefense'' [[TheRolePlayer usually plays the role of the strong-willed, charismatic leader]] of the Flame Emperors guild whenever she's playing ''[=NewWorld=] Online''. When she's by herself however, she's quick to drop her ContraltoOfDanger and reveal a [[NervousWreck squeaky voiced, almost timid girl]] who, while still capable of kicking ass, [[BrokenAce is a constant mess of insecurities]].

* A deconstructed example occurs in ''Literature/ClassroomOfTheElite'' courtesy of [[spoiler:Kikyo Kushida]]. Realizing in middle school that [[NormalFishInATinyPond they weren't as good as they were praised to be]], they decided to become the [[ExtremeDoormat class gofer]] in a desperate attempt for [[AttentionWhore attention]]. This ends up causing them a great deal of stress that they could only relieve by venting about it on an online blog, only for said blog to be discovered by their classmates. Feeling cornered, they decided to air their classmates dirty laundry as well, [[HatePlague effectively turning them against each other as well and causing the whole room to fall apart]].
* ''LightNovel/TheGeniusPrincesGuideToRaisingANationOutOfDebtHeyHowAboutTreason'' gives us Wein, wise prince of Natra who is loved by his people for being a kind, benevolent leader...who is actually a lazy bum who would want nothing more than to sell his own "dirt poor" kingdom to the highest bidder he can find. Unfortunately, due to his position as prince, he has to be careful about he goes about carrying out this plan, lest he cause an uprising. As such, while any situation he gets into usually ends up benefitting his kingdom, [[UnluckilyLucky almost nothing happens to benefit him directly]], leaving him stuck in perpetual cycle.

* Manga/Overlord2012: Ainz Ooal Gown is an ancient and unfathomably powerful lich, who intellect is matched only by his monstrous evil. Or rather, he's Satoru Suzuki's MMO character. When Satoru finds himself isekai'd into a world similar to the MMO with all his character's powers (but not his personality or intelligence), he finds himself trying his best to balance his responsibility to his underlings (formerly [[NonPlayerCharacter NPCs]], now empowered with intelligence according to the backstories written for them) with his status as a PersonOfMassDestruction, with no one to talk to or able to understand his situation.

* While the appropriately named ''Franchise/{{Persona}}'' series is already known for its BeneathTheMask psychology, ''VideoGame/Persona4'' in particular focuses on characters desperately denying their Shadow's exaggerated, but otherwise accurate accusation of who they really are , which leads to [[BossBattle bosses]] where every Shadow begins by stating that they are the "true self."
** One stand out example is IdolSinger Rise Kujikawa, who retires from her work due to believing that nobody cares about the real her. This belief is actually supplemented in game when you meet her in person, as the fans who went to see her at her grandmother's tofu shop ''couldn't even recognize her'' from behind, especially with her now depressed mood at the time. It takes until after you defeat her shadow for her to regain her cheerful personality, and then it takes her Social Link for her to decide to return to her job.
* ''VideoGame/Persona5'' uses this trope differently. All the party members forced themselves to behave a certain way for the sake of society's expectations, or because someone in power made them. They're clearly not happy with the state of their lives, but feel ItCantBeHelped. Their Shadows represent their repressed desire for rebellion, and when they emerge once their abusers [[MoralEventHorizon go a step too far]], the party members accept them near instantly, throwing off the yoke of society's expectations. A few members of the Phantom Thieves stand out:

[[/folder]]

Believe it or not, being yourself is hard. Whether it's the people around us, or just society in general, there are often times where we are forced to become someone we're not. Thus, as you would expect from this "pressure," there are more than a couple where we feel that it's hard to breath. Luckily, with the proper "ventilation" people can easily switch back and forth between personalities with little to no issues.

* A deconstructed example occurs in ''Literature/ClassroomOfTheElite'' courtesy of [[spoiler: Kikyo Kushida]]. Realizing in middle school that [[NormalFishInATinyPond they weren't as good as they were praised to be]], they decided to become the [[ExtremeDoormat class gofer]] in a desperate attempt for [[AttentionWhore attention]]. This ends up causing them a great deal of stress that they could only relieve by venting about it on an online blog, only for said blog to be discovered by their classmates. Feeling cornered, they decided to air their classmates dirty laundry as well, [[HatePlague effectively turning them against each other as well and causing the whole room to fall apart]].

* The lyrics to "Edge of Dawn", the main theme of ''VideoGame/FireEmblemThreeHouses'', imply that [[spoiler: Edelgard]] does not enjoy their [[spoiler: [[TheHeavy Flame Emperor]]]] persona and wishes they could live out their days at the academy with their friends in peace.

--> And that "[[spoiler: refreshing like a spring breeze]]" crap; it's just as atrocious, don't you agree?

* The lyrics to "Edge of Dawn", the main theme of ''VideoGame/FireEmblemThreeHouses'', imply that [[spoiler: Edelgard]] does not enjoy their [[spoiler: [[TheHeavy Flame Emperor]]]] persona and wishes they could live out their days at the academy with their friends.