to thine own self be true en · X
Etymology
From a monologue delivered by the character Polonius in Act I Scene III of Hamlet by William Shakespeare.
Meanings
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Be yourself; be true to yourself; do not engage in self-deception.
This aboue all, to thy owne ſelfe be true, And it muſt follow as the night the day, Thou canſt not then be falſe to any one, […]
c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shake-speare, The Tragicall Historie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke: […] (First Quarto), London: […] [Valentine Simmes] for N[icholas] L[ing] and Iohn Trundell, published 1603, →OCLC, [Act I, scene iii], signatures C2, recto – C2, verso:"To thine own self be true," I saw, was what produced vitality, confidence, and genuine expression in one's interpersonal relations.
1977, Robert P Marinelli, Arthur E. Dell Orto, editors, The Psychological and Social Impact of Physical Disability, Springer Publishing Co., →ISBN, page 306:Know thyself. To thine own self be true. For the man or woman who can confront the demon within, there is a hopeful prognosis.
1986 August, Gary Diedrichs, “Bewitched”, in Orange Coast:Several of these women said simply, "to each her own," while others like Sue were only slighty more verbose: "Each of us has a right and a responsibility 'to thine own self be true.' Another person's sexual preference is not my business or concern."
1995, Paula C. Rust, Bisexuality and the Challenge to Lesbian Politics: Sex, Loyalty, and Revolution, New York University Press, published 1995, →ISBN, page 51:As Shakespeare wrote, "To thine own self be true," at least according to what kind of person you believe yourself to be.
2012, Mark D. White, “The Sound and the Fury Behind 'One More Day'”, in Jonathan J. Sanford, editor, Spider-Man and Philosophy: The Web of Inquiry, John Wiley & Sons, →ISBN, page 241:"To thine own self be true" whatever the consequences was taken as the principle of true freedom and humanity by the romantics.
2004, James M. Morris, Andrea L. Kross, Historical Dictionary of Utopianism, Scarecrow Press, published 2004, →ISBN, page 262:
Translations (10)
cmn 對自己忠實 /对自己忠实 (proverb) · ko 자기 자신에게 진실 되어라 (proverb) · ru будь ве́рен сам себе́ (proverb) · ja おのれに忠実であれ (proverb) · fi ole rehellinen itsellesi (proverb) · ru будь ве́рен самому́ себе́ (proverb) · cs buď věrný sám sobě (proverb) · fr sois loyal envers toi-même (proverb) · it sii sincero con te stesso (proverb) · la quisque sibi verus (proverb)