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i want to start by saying that mental illness CAN be in a spectrum. whether you are properly diagnosed or has an inkling as to what your inner psyche is, everyone experiences it differently. dan, and more recently phil, has been opening up about their struggles about depression and anxiety - and while i do believe that both of them have some skill in public speaking, i find that their comfort and skill levels are a bit different. that said, we can interpret dan and phil as this or that, but they also have bad days and good days just like any other person...sometimes, no matter how good youre coping, you can slip up. and thats ok.
dan definitely has the quick on his feet and assertive "professional" persona when it comes to dealing with people outside his comfort zone - or as you guys called it, his "on" persona. anyone who has worked in customer service or social/community service type jobs knows that its not just a fake persona that you put on, its still you but just a tad bit "friendly" and "personable". so whenever dan steps on the stage for a show or sits in front of the camera, he is fully aware of his purpose to entertain the audience. he is allowing himself to be more approachable but still has that invisible wall around him that says "please dont step any closer", which is totally dependent on his comfort zone.
phil on the other hand, seems to take a more hospitable rather than professional approach. he reminds me of my mom whenever we have guests: hovers around just in case they need something and is constantly worrying about the little things (compare this to the gas leak incident - meanwhile, dan just hid in his room, dan is me). also, he always has funny anecdotes and icebreaker games ready on any occasion. this is just me backseat psychoanalyzing but i wonder if this is his way of coping with his social anxiety - compensate the fear by actively choosing to please the other party and hopefully leave a good impression.
now heres the fun part, its easy to just look at them individually but thats not always the case. part of the reason why i love joint liveshows is because:
- they fill in each others gaps
- they are each others comfort blanket, hence a more relaxed atmosphere
- yeah, yeah, ill admit it. i just like seeing the two of them together and feeding my demon brain once in a while but shush thats not my point
and then theres the meet and greets. honestly, theres so many examples of them covering for each other. theres that book signing where a dad yelled at them and dan quickly responded with a professional approach , while phil was fully on deer-on-headlights mode. then theres that m&g where a fan asked them to hug each other for a picture, phil was aware of dans comfort level towards these things hence he made sure to check him if its alright first.
anyways, im pretty sure everyone else had said most of the good points already but yeah man, i like them individually but both of them together is just perfect
ALSO, saw the new content before i publish this post and: EXCUSE ME, WHAT THE FUCK DANIEL
) and the world post youtube sex/abuse scandals, so with any public posts they -mainly Dan- allow themselves to be suggestive but not explicit, even if it's just a bare chest.
i can't decide if i like that unmirrored version better bc its flipped or just because its bigger so i can see it in better detail 
! i was mostly thinking that different people experience and react to depression and anxiety differently and it reminded me of a spectrum. although, i guess i didnt know how to phrase it. 