yes, exactly. i feel like sometimes people take these instructions far to lightly. "be yourself" can be understood to mean, "you should pursue life in such a way that it aligns with your core values and your core identity". It doesn't mean you shouldn't work to improve yourself. Exercising constraint, using tact, being deft and/or subtle in how you respond to people can be very much in line with "who you are". If you are is "loving, respectful" then you can be careful about how you respond to people so that they are felt loved and respected.