its not the % you look at for yourself when it comes to how you will play pre flop, but more of a spasifc range of
hands, based off the players your play against...
for example if your getting a bunch of playable hands at a table full of unknowns your % will look a lot higher. Even though your playing a NIT style. It's just the way the cards fall in comparison. This also works the other way. you could be playing a more loos style, but your consistently getting 3bet off hands, or just getting terrible hole cards....
If you stick to a range of hands your comfortable with, you then can take your image into consideration post flop. I absolutely love when I get a ton of good hands early tournament, and it boost up my VPIP. That means most rec players will call you with a wider range just based off that stat. leaving you a lot a made flops, forcing your opponent to draw out on you. Then when you flip over a set of Js on a dry board. with a VPIP of lets say 30. They will still keep calling you because they think you got lucky. few hands later you get it all in with the nut flush you hit on the river, after pairing your A on the flop with AQs, and your still at 30%. By the time variance catches up to you, and you reach the 20% mark. It's middle tournament, and your chip leader, cause no one believed you were playing like a NIT the whole time. you were just getting cards.