Kittenfishing is a subtly inflation of achievements or interests, not the invention of a fake identity.

The "fake it til you make it" motto can normalize small self-exaggerations that can backfire.

Early honesty and accountability protects emotional well-being.

Midlife is a time of transition: career reinvention, conferences, new social circles, and even dating. People seem larger than life, with an abundance of skills, knowledge, experience, and verve. However, they may be kittenfishing. The term "kittenfishing" is currently finding traction on social media; this is the baby version of catfishing, which involves presenting a false identity to scam someone. Catfishing is a fishy way of stirring up deception; it became so prevalent that MTV built an entire television series dedicated to this, called Catfish.

What makes kittenfishing different is that it isn't an overt scam with a false identity. Instead, it's a subtle cousin of catfishing—puffed-up credentials and essentially operating on the "fake it til you make it" motto. It shows up in dating, work, and social life, which is why it can be especially risky emotionally for those in midlife and beyond.

Catfishing Versus Kittenfishing

A person who catfishes is pretending to be someone else.

Kittenfishing is pretending to be a more impressive version of oneself.

In catfishing, someone is playing a completely........

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