Among companies with a conscience, there’s a fashionable notion that employees should be bringing their “whole selves” to work. The whole self is vocal with feedback and generous with personal stories. The whole self is bursting with low-level quirks and surprising interests. And the whole self is honest about their struggles and patient with their colleagues, because we’re all friends here, right? 

The concept of bringing one’s “real” self to work was popularized in 2015 by the author and speaker Mike Robbins, who implored viewers of his much-watched TED Talk to “embrace vulnerability and to let go of our attachment to what other people think about us.” It’s a lovely concept, this idea of just being yourself. But don’t fall for it. You don’t owe your boss your ...