We live in a world where judgment and jealousy are very real and manipulative forces that weigh down all of society. William Shakespeare’s famous quote from Hamlet, “To thine own self be true,” sums up our reality. Likewise in this famous play, people have to be reminded to not worry about pleasing other people or living by someone else’s rules or standards – but rather living as their natural selves without compromise.
However, in modern times, the sentiments of this quote elude even the most confident of person, making 2024 one of the most difficult times to be yourself.
How do we stay true to self in times where sources like social media are constantly being shoved in our faces, comparing and destroying teenagers’ self-esteem? How do we stay true to self when kids are surrounded by so many faces and personalities that differ from their own? How do we stay true to self if we do not know what it means to find ourselves first, nevertheless staying true to that identity?
Social media facilitates information, but the challenge of authenticity stems from the impact of that information molding our self-image. Sure, feeds can be filled with uplifting and amusing posts featuring yummy food recipes or adorable pet videos. On the flip side – it often has a more devastating impact when people use it to capture a fake persona of their lives, which results in harming society’s introspection.
Videos and pictures of beauty standards feed our jealousy and can make us insecure when comparing ourselves to these fraudulent ideals. We must remember that upholding our values is what makes our lives satisfactory, and will ultimately guide us to being our true selves divergent to the content on social media.
The journey of moving past our personas and unveiling our masks unfolds when exploring what we truly value. Shakespeare attempts to enlighten us on this truth within his quote, pointing out that in order to be ourselves we must stick to our principles and morals.
But let’s say that our friends are walking in the hallway and a freshman trips over their shoelaces, their books and supplies scattering and taunts seem to form a barrier between helping them. Why might we feel this discomfort to stop and help them, even if we associate ourselves with considerate or integrity virtues? The reason for this stems from a fear of judgment, which is one of the major challenges to our authenticity.
A human’s survival instincts naturally fear societal rejection, which transfers to fearing judgment when making choices that differ from our peers. This rationality is what steers people into peer pressure and restrains them from living out their true selves. By keeping our priorities straight, we display courage that prioritizes our character.
Deciphering our core values strengthens our confidence in ourselves, but individuality as a spectrum branches far beyond ethics – it dives into the forms of how we express who we are. Some ways that people may secure their identity is through appearance or personality.
Many kids are fond of uniquely tailoring their outward appearances to separate themself. This tends to vary between coquette ribbons in hair, bedazzled jewelry, colorful or contemporary shoes or stacks of bracelets adorned with slogans. How people choose to customize their outfits is subjective to their styles, and it can ultimately help someone feel comfortable and represented in their skin.
Each person is also inherently gifted a unique personality distinct to themself, and letting those qualities shine guides people towards being true to themselves. This also corresponds with the importance of being surrounded by people who treasure people as a gift. Settings, where judgmental opinions seize the atmosphere, can make someone self-conscious as to what other people think about them. However, the people who embrace the characteristics that make themselves true will nurture the habit of letting go of other people’s views.
Be loud, say that funny joke, stay kind – whatever characteristics define you, don’t let it go: but let it be free.
Lastly, there is no need to pressure yourself into a standard of what being true to yourself means. Often when we convince ourselves that we should be a certain way, we end up forcing ourselves to be someone we are not. The best thing that we can do is to remind ourselves of what we value and then value ourselves. If you just keep being your natural you, that’s what matters.
Or as Hamlet would say, “to thine own self be true.”
