I Like Me — An Identity-Level Lesson from John Candy

Every so often, a line in a movie sneaks past your defenses and lands directly in the center of your chest. Not because it’s poetic. Not because it’s profound. But because it is absolutely, undeniably true. That’s exactly what happened the first time I heard John Candy say three simple words in Planes, Trains and Automobiles: 

“I like me.” 

If you know the scene, you can probably feel it already. Steve Martin’s character lashes out, attacks Candy’s character—Del Griffith—on every level: his personality, his quirks, his energy, the way he moves through the world. It’s the kind of attack you can only deliver when you’re stressed, frustrated, disconnected, and trying to control everything except your own emotional state. 

Candy doesn’t fight back. 
He doesn’t crumble. 
He doesn’t apologize for existing. 

He just breathes, feels the sting, and answers: 

“I like me. 
My wife likes me. 
My customers like me. 
Because I’m the real deal.” 

And in that moment… the entire movie shifts. 
But something inside us shifts too. 

Because somewhere deep down, every entrepreneur and every leader knows what it feels like to be judged for who they naturally are. To feel “too much” or “not enough.” To feel pressure to fit into a mold that was never designed for them in the first place. 

And yet here is John Candy—the ultimate “unlikely” star—not fitting into anything. 
Except himself. 

 

John Candy: The Unlikely Icon Who Never Tried to Fit the Mold 

Hollywood had a type. 
And John Candy wasn’t it. 

He didn’t have the chiselled jawline or the cover-ready look. He wasn’t the leading-man archetype studios chased. They tried to box him into “the big guy,” the sidekick, the comic relief. 

But he brought something else—something stronger than image. 

He brought identity. 

He brought heart, empathy, warmth, and a kind of emotional honesty you can’t fake. And because he brought that, we didn’t just watch him… we loved him. 

He wasn’t a star because he fit in. 
He was a star because he didn’t. 

And in that lesson lies a truth most leaders and entrepreneurs take far too long to learn: 

People don’t follow the image of a leader. 
They follow the identity behind it. 

 

Entrepreneurs Carry an Invisible Pressure No One Talks About 

Let’s be honest. 

Most entrepreneurs—no matter how confident they look—carry a quiet question: 

“Am I enough?” 

Am I skilled enough? 
Disciplined enough? 
Polished enough? 
Ready enough? 
Worthy enough? 

That pressure shows up in subtle ways: 

• overexplaining 

• overcommitting 

• overdelivering 

• grinding harder than necessary 

• shrinking in the presence of bigger personalities 

• questioning your own instincts 

• trying to “look the part” rather than be the part 

It becomes a trap. 
A cage made of other people’s expectations. 

John Candy’s line cuts right through the bars: 

“I like me.” 

Not because he’s perfect. 
Not because he’s winning. 
Not because he fits. 

But because he recognizes the truth: 

Identity > Image. 

That’s the napkin for this episode—and a reminder every leader needs to carry. 

 

Why “I Like Me” Is a Leadership Strategy 

When you like yourself: 

You make clearer decisions. 
You negotiate with confidence. 
You set boundaries without guilt. 
You attract the right customers. 
You build teams that trust you. 
You communicate without fear. 
You step into vision instead of validation. 

Self-acceptance isn’t fluff. 
It’s leadership infrastructure. 

And when you don’t like yourself enough? 

You chase approval. 
You contort your identity to fit expectations. 
You build a business that drains you instead of expressing you. 

The game changes—immediately—when you anchor into identity instead of performance. 

 

Your Napkin: Identity > Image 

Your napkin sketch says it simply and perfectly: 

A hand-drawn mirror. 
Three words in the center: 

I LIKE ME. 

Underneath it: 

Identity > Image 

Because leadership isn’t about appearing impressive. 
It’s about being anchored. 

The people who matter—your team, your family, your customers—are drawn to the real you, not the “corrected” version of you. 

 

5 Key Takeaways (with Take Action Steps) 

1. Identity is a leadership superpower. 

People follow leaders who know who they are. 

Take Action: 
Write one sentence on a napkin right now: 
“I like me because…” 
Finish it honestly. 

 

2. Authenticity is more valuable than polish. 

John Candy didn’t fit the Hollywood mold—and that’s what made him magnetic. 

Take Action: 
Identify one area in your business where you’re performing instead of being. Remove the performance layer. 

 

3. Self-acceptance creates clarity. 

When you like yourself, decisions become easier and direction becomes obvious. 

Take Action: 
Before your next major decision, pause and ask: 
“What would I choose if I trusted myself completely?” 

 

4. Identity builds trust effortlessly. 

Customers feel who you are long before they evaluate what you do. 

Take Action: 
Record a 60-second voice memo explaining “why I care” about your mission. Share it with your team. 

 

5. Confidence is not a mood—it's an identity choice. 

You don’t wait to become confident. You choose to like you, now. 

Take Action: 
For the next three mornings, look in the mirror and say out loud: 
“I like me. I’m the real deal.” 
Say it until you feel it. 

 

Final Thought 

John Candy didn’t ask permission to be himself. 
He didn’t wait to fit in. 
He didn’t shrink when someone attacked him. 

He simply held the one truth that matters: 

“I like me. The people who matter like me. Because I’m the real deal.” 

And you? 
You’re the real deal too. 
Write it on a napkin. 
Carry it with you. 
Build from that place. 

 

Links 

Website: www.papernapkinwisdom.com 
Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/paper-napkin-wisdom/id735345903 
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6ejOegCltch4RZsqCRKUm3 
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@papernapkinwisdom