If you act like a worse version of yourself around certain people, that’s worth noticing.

Who you become in a room is partly the room’s doing. Some groups reward the sharper, louder, meaner version of you with laughter, and you learn that fast without deciding to. It does not make you a fraud, but the pattern tells you something about what that friendship runs on. The behavior is still yours, which is the part you can actually change.

Think back over the last month and name the group where you liked yourself least. You do not have to cut anyone off. Try one hangout where you do not take the easy laugh, and see whether the room still works for you.