Being a counterfeit version of your true self is ego. The ego attracts a person through thought patterns, rather than genuine feeling, for self gratification. You may temporarily attract the person your ego wants through mental effort and strain; but keeping up a false persona is very difficult to sustain. In effect you are giving out the message that you are not good enough. Projecting a false image because of peer pressure or trying to be what society dictates, ultimately leads to unhappiness and uncertainty about your relationships with others.
If you have a mistrust of the opposite sex stemming from childhood, there may be a tendency to project a false image through ego. This is done to mask low self esteem and a fear of allowing anyone to get too close. The false image is like a suit of armour which shields the real you. Unless you are willing to shed this suit of armour and reveal who you truly are, you cannot attract people into your life who reflect your true nature.
The fear that you are flawed or not good enough prevents you from dropping the armour of false self. However as life progresses it becomes increasingly cumbersome to carry this load. Allow your true self to shine, let the light of awareness reveal the hidden beauty within. Set your intention to be in alignment with Higher Self.
Higher Self makes you feel whole, ego makes you feel fragmented.
Higher Self makes you feel chosen, ego makes you feel rejected.
~ An extract taken from ‘In Quest of Love‘ by Collette OMahony
Collette OMahony (Author's blog) 