The other obvious problem with the 'image of you' thing is that it always comes back to bite you in the arse. Especially if you allow it to perpetuate. I can't tell you how many times that's happened to me... when I filled the person's expectations pretty well for a while, but the first time I broke expectations, I paid dearly. And of course you can't always guess what those expectations are.

And I wasn't even allowing it on purpose. No matter how hard i tried to show myself to those people, they kept on replacing me with their cardboard cutouts. So now I try to break expectations on a regular basis... once an hour if I can manage it. :)