Our most professional self can’t always be our truest self.

You might think that it is common knowledge that we have to polish up and hide certain aspects of our personalities and habits to thrive in the average workplace, but that isn’t what everybody is willing to do. On one level, it is kind of understandable—it can be exhausting to present this perfected version of yourself for eight hours a day when you would rather enjoy the freedom of letting it all hang out. The thing is, though, that a certain level of professionalism is necessary if we actually want to get things done in the workplace.

It is sometimes unreasonable to expect that employees will be on their best behavior at all times. Sometimes work days are long and stressful, and it is only a matter of time before the cracks start to show. Still, it is important to do the best you can when it comes to maintaining the right persona in the workplace. You might be surprised what colleagues will pick up on and criticize if you don’t. While it could be argued that it isn’t always fair, personality matters a lot when getting ahead at work.