As advice goes, 'be yourself' is not very good because it does not convey instructive information (aka not actionable).

It gets worse. The information that is conveyed is that person being told is the sort of person that needs such advice. The implicit assumption is that the person told is much less than most people. It regards precisely when pity is useful (and for whom). 

The worst is that it keeps being said. There is no shame, no sense of irony at a completely disingenuous statement (stop what you do, do what others do). The mindset is that those people should be grateful, honored even, to have us take the time to wipe our feet. 


Suffer in silence? Don't pin that on us, it is the silence we care about!


Let me help you; the commitment is all yours (while I lord it over you)