Doing and Being?

I do what I do, and there's not much that I can do differently once it's done, but I don't tend to be what I think 'I am', despite my frequent protestations to the contrary. If I protest that 'it's just the way I am', that's surely a low-grade cop-out that facilitates a whole clatter of denials. There isn't an identity category out there that can adequately leave me safe from the change or challenge of circumstance. If I reframe that as 'it's just the way I tend to be', then fine, I can tend to be differently, if I make the effort. I remember reading once, in a movie review, of all places, 'be careful who you pretend to be for that is who you may become'. I would maybe re-word that awkwardly as, 'be careful who I (pre)tend to be as that is (w)ho(w) I may become'.