Ever know anyone who takes themselves too seriously? It’s a drag after a while. You have to mind your p’s and q’s at all times, keep your elbows off the table and use proper grammar.

On the other hand, maybe you’ve known people who are a little too comfortable in their own skin. They scratch it and tell you about all its little foibles and peculiarities.

Too much information is uncomfortable, like a stranger’s confession of gastrointestinal distress. But “I’m fine, thank you. And you?” is not only monotonous but often untrue. Somewhere in the middle lies the delicate balance between being polite while being real.

Ms. Jones calls it brokenness, and she actually loves you for it. She wants to see the chinks in your armor because she has some in hers, too. She sees right through grandiose claims and swaggering slogans. Admitting your humanity is humanizing, and she’s hungry for the human touch. Your truthfulness, honesty and transparency show her that she can trust you.

What is Ms. Jones longing to hear from you? How are you broken?

And please, leave your digestive system out of it.