"To thine own self be true " What do these words mean in your life ?

by caliber 6 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  caliber

  These words "to thine own self be true " are often quoted but not the entire thought or stanza

  This above all: to thine own self be true,
  And it must follow, as the night the day,
  Thou canst not then be false to any man.

  Is being true to yourself apart from concerns for others selfish ?

  What balance must we reach ?

  Is this stanza only referring to not being false to others in regarding to who we are as a person inside ?

  Is the term "to find oneself " the same thing ? Most truly many ex-JW's feel obligations toward others or even God have

  overwhelmed and submerged their finding their true self in the past ... thoughts please
• 

  LV101

  i think it's all of the above --- to ourselves and others. to me it means the PAIN OF REALITY AND NO MORE DENIAL no matter no matter no matter. i realize denial is there to protect us until we can FACE THE PAIN (and for some that is NEVER), but it's the only road to freedom and true peace. we see glimpses of truth (being true to ourself but quickly dismiss because we can't accept).

  i like what you say above --- about not being false to others in regard to who we are as a person inside --- the truth about ourselves is critical and our motives/agendas as well as others. most of what we say/do is out of an inward FEAR and inward self-focus that developed out of a need to PROTECT OURSELF AND SURVIVE as children. they say that people lie more about themselves to their closest friends than anyone else which seems odd when they can see more truth than others. your thought "to find oneself" is maybe introspection --- WHY WE are and do what we do (a product of our environment) and join certain religions, pick toxic friends, choose unhealthy people to love us ---

  i think we WANT WHAT WE WANT as unhealthy as it may be for us at times until we live by line to be true to self.
• 

  Mr. Falcon

  I'm having a hard time with those words at this point in my life. Kind of damning in the light of my current situation.

  I guess I take comfort when I remember that the person who said those words foolishly hid behind a curtain before being stabbed by Hamlet.
• 

  caliber

  It needs to be understood that "being yourself" does not have anything to do with forcing yourself to just do whatever you desire or pretending that you don't care how others perceive you. It is actually the process of listening to your inner feelings and maintaining personal integrity ... not letting others override our heartfelt desires and beliefs
• 

  caliber

  For if we live our life like some Shakespearean play...

  to dance the dance in some preassigned verse

  and if we act with masks to be read with only wooden smiles..

  tis only by then that we mute the hidden body language ...

  that forever speaks pure truth without our spirits consent

  ~~~~~~ by Caliber
• 

  Berengaria

  I guess I take comfort when I remember that the person who said those words foolishly hid behind a curtain before being stabbed by Hamlet.

  He also blathered on incessantly, proving that "Brevity is the soul of wit".
• 

  Berengaria

  maintaining personal integrity

  This has always been my interpretation.