Comments on: ‘To Thine Own Self Be True’, Meaning & Context

By: Laysan Rail

Laysan Rail — Wed, 06 Dec 2023 18:10:02 +0000

To thine own self be true, etc. also has significant value as advice in terms of
advising against self-deceit; especially for those who seeks to influence others.
If one is deceiving onself about the actual motivation in persuading others to
adopt a view that fundamentally, in reality, is against their own interests, while
posing as the same as the target people; yet actually not be; but rather is in a
group who will benefit from the deception. People can genuinely delude themselves
yet will benefit from it, and thereby actively act to delude others who wont benefit from it.

By: Skip

Skip — Sat, 06 May 2023 04:12:39 +0000

In reply to Philip. A hard lesson to learn about trying to run from problems that actually eminate from within: No matter where you go there you are.

By: Philip

Philip — Sun, 09 Oct 2022 12:39:30 +0000

What is not expressed is the fact that you can’t deceive yourself fully, a part of you will never be content with self-deception, and “truth will out”. Smoking was ince an acceptable addiction, but you won’t be able to give up unless you truly want to, and if you secretly don’t want to give up, you will find an excuse to start again. We can’t cheat ourselves, our conscience won’t let us.

By: Victor

Victor — Wed, 05 Oct 2022 18:00:04 +0000

If I don’t lie to myself, I can’t lie to others? How in the world does that follow? Isn’t this just another of Polonius’ very silly remarks?

By: Rick

Rick — Fri, 25 Mar 2022 17:49:37 +0000

IMHO, those who are straight with themselves are generally straight shooters with others too. The motives for lying to ourselves and lying to others are exactly the same. When we lie to ourselves, we’re in denial about who we really are or what we’re really doing and that sort of thing. When we lie to others, it’s also a denial of the truth, only now it’s outward instead of inward. People who lie to themselves are practically incapable of being honest with others, while people who are true to themselves are practically incapable of lying to others. Let’s say I can’t face the fact that I’m a horrible worker, so in my own mind, I blame the fact that I’m unemployed on everyone and everything other than myself (it’s the economy, or it’s bad luck, or it’s this or that or whatever, anything but the truth). We can convince ourselves of this crap pretty easily, but deep down we know that other people won’t believe it, so we tell them that we’re a marine biologist or in between jobs or working on something big or whatever. Lies are lies; they all spring from the same place.

By: kevin william farrell

kevin william farrell — Wed, 09 Feb 2022 00:14:54 +0000

In reply to H. spot on

By: sharron

sharron — Fri, 04 Feb 2022 03:23:44 +0000

for me it means don’t lie to yourself, look deep into yourself, know yourself ,be honest with yourself. And be honest with other people .being an addict I can go into denial tell myself i’m not an addict, lie to myself, and that can lead me to useing drugs.im often told by other people including sponsors i have had, and members of recovery groups i used to go to, that i was not an addict, and that the drug i used daily wasn’t a harmfull drug, some offered me this drug at times, including while i was detoxing, listening to them too much was keeping me in denial. that’s one, of the reasons why i have to keep away from those people. and that’s why i have to keep being honest with myself.
reminding myself that i am an addict.

By: Tom Tester

Tom Tester — Sat, 13 Nov 2021 23:06:30 +0000

In reply to A.G.. Wow, one of us has really missed the point. In a nutshell, considering Polonius's actions, I take it to mean do as I say, not as I do!

By: Bonita Hightower

Bonita Hightower — Tue, 07 Sep 2021 12:02:34 +0000

I totally agree with the last comment. I always thought the words “To Thy Own Self Be True” was Biblical base so I googled those words and found it not to be true( however, one can never lie to one self because their real self will eat at them day and night until they settle within them self and sometimes they settle by not making peace within and therefore they live a lie because they have chosen to NOT BE TRUE TO Themself.

By: H

Sat, 05 Dec 2020 14:07:33 +0000

The quote is stating the ontological truth that we are; like it or not, realize it or not, ALWAYS stuck with being who we are in the moment. It can not ever be otherwise…
Being true to ones self means KNOWING ones Self. In that state of Being there is no falsehood that is possible… as when you recognize and ARE your Self you are there, in truth, for all the world to see.