You what you say you don't want to sound like...more than likely.

When you talk and you commence by saying: "I am not an ex, wye or zed." Or "I don't want to sound like I'm ex, wye or zed, but...blah blah blah."

If you're already sounding like what you say you don't want to sound like, to me you're what you claim you don't want to sound like. You probably just don't want an open admission and that's okay. But at the end of the day, attitude evinces clearer than platitude.