dbp, what do you mean by your "true self"?

I was asked the above in another setting and I decided to answer it here because the answer (might) end up being pretty lengthy.

I thought up a little story to illustrate what I meant:

There is some guy, who from childhood had a lot of different aspirations. One of them was to be rich. If you asked him why he wanted to someday be wealthy, he would say that it would be great because then he wouldn't have to work and he could travel or buy anything he wants.

Later in life, he is married with children and a good job. He likes his work--it pays well and is interesting. He lives close to work in a modest house. He enjoys spending time with his family and has a few hobbies, but they are not ones that cost much to pursue. Really, there is only one nagging concern: His current career path will never make him wealthy.

If he was to think about his situation, he would realize that his "true self" is not someone who really wants to be wealthy. His reasons for wanting wealth don't apply: He likes his work and he does not have expensive tastes. All wealth would do is give him the means to buy stuff he doesn't want and allow him to quit job he loves.

He would benefit if he could make this realization, since this one nagging concern is about the only worry he has. But getting back to the original subject of this post: Isn't it possible that his "true self" was there all along? There is a certain amount of randomness in life, but the seeds of interest we have when young guide us toward what we will do later. The life our hero chose for himself reveals what he really cares about.