To Thine Own Self Be True

“This above all: to thine own self be true.” -William Shakespeare
It is amazing how many of us are not true to ourselves. Some of us allow others to define who we are as people. Some of us do not accept ourselves and try to act differently. Some of us do not even love ourselves. Shakespeare’s quote “this above all: to thine own self be true” is perfect advice that tells us to act, know, and love ourselves as human beings. The first thing I think Shakespeare was trying to tell us was to not let others shape our personalities. I think that the media and our peers often try to make us who they want us to be or what they think is cool. Shakespeare was telling us not to let that happen. In reality, the coolest you can be is yourself. Others will love you for who you are, not who you act as. If they don’t, they are not the people you should hang around with. The second thing I think Shakespeare was talking about in the quote was accepting ourselves. One of the hardest yet best things to do in life is accepting who you are. We all have flaws, but you need to overlook them in yourself and in others. Before you can accept yourself, you also have to know yourself. I believe that there is good in every single person on earth, and whether you intend to or not, you learn more and more about your goodness every day in your kind actions and thoughts. Therefore, when you truly know yourself, which happens over time, you know that you are good, and when you know that you are good, accepting yourself comes easy. Lastly, I think that by be true Shakespeare also meant love. When you love yourself, you do not want to be anyone but you. Loving yourself comes from loving life and those around you. When you love life you will find it nearly impossible not to love yourself. In addition, when you love yourself, you will find it nearly impossible not to love life. If you follow Shakespeare’s quote “this above all: to thine own self be true” your life will be truly meaningful.