Oct 8, 2011 / Topic Ideas

How do you stay true to yourself?

Topic #272:

Jody Williams, winner of the 1997 Nobel Peace prize, advises that the winners this year ‘Stay true to themselves’.  This is advice we often here is kids or in movies, but what does it really mean?

First of all, how do you discover who your true self is? It seems many people don’t quite know who they are.  Second, most people have some qualities that they wish they didn’t have, such as jealousy, envy, insecurities or prejudices. Staying true to those things wouldn’t seem to be in our interest.

What does it mean to you to stay true to yourself? Which part of yourself to you think about?

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  4. This post is full of typos. Is that a result of forcing out a post every day, even when you don’t have time to re-read eight sentences before hitting the publish button?
    Sorry to be critical. I know I have no room to talk, since I’ve only been trying to do postaday since October 1 and I’m already missing my own typos in an effort to just “get it down”.
    Am I being true to myself trying to post so often? Is it good for me to stretch so far out of my comfort zone?

    http://carolynpaulbranch.com

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  5. If I refer to “staying true to myself” I refer to staying true to my beliefs and values – not personality qualities, but human qualities that make me who I am, and which prevents me from doing things that are wrong. Everyone has beliefs – whether religious or otherwise – that accepts somes things and rejects others. That is what identifies humans from other humans. Being true to yourself is sticking to what you believe is right, and not letting the Big, Bag Scary World change your mind.

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  6. This is an intersting question, and one of the most difficult things to do in life. To remain true to yourself and loyal to the people who are true to you. One of the most powerful tools I’ve found to do it throughout my life it’s reading. I find in book an endless source of ideas that challenge mine and this keep me constantly seeing to myself in a critical way. I also find in friendship a real source of strenght for me to go on with remain firm and loyal to what I think. Of course, there’s always room for improvement, but I think the important thing is to know who you are and to be clear in what aspects of yourself want to keep and which once you want to chance in order to have a better life and to give the best of yourself to the people you truly care for.

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  7. The first thing is, it’s so hard to figure out who you really are, especially with the media that exists. They practically tell you who you are, or, at least, who you want to be. In order to figure out who you are, you have to sit back, take a look at the world, and figure out what is wrong with it. Then, you can see where change needs to happen, what your qualities are, and how you can apply your skills to change something. That’s when you learn who you are. I don’t think it’s an overnight experience.
    Second thing: If you know who you are, it’s easy to stay true to yourself, because you would know what your values are, what you stand for, and believe in. If that’s the case, then nothing can really shake you, because you stand firm in your knowledge of who you are. You automatically stay true to yourself.
    I wrote a post about media and how it shapes us, if you’re interested to take a look at it. Cheers. http://jansimson.wordpress.com/2011/10/08/changing-media/

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  8. Knowing my self, in the sense that copying people can only increase my way to the promise landand also bringing out the best in me is Being true to myself.
    When you know what your challanges are, and you try to deal with it, no sincerity defination would be appropriate than being true.
    “Partial truth is no truth”

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  10. I try to analyze first what i going to do or to say before i apply, but if I Think not accepted i delete it automatically in my mind so in my work too and there is always a beginning to create mindset 🙂 And I always say what`s happening:)

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  11. I think about who I am and who I want to be all the time. It’s one of those things you just have to do. Being true to yourself means just recognizing what you truly want and living by your own values and standards.

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  12. This truth has to be an absolute outside our self, and this self something permanent but changeable. Otherwise, how could we make a comparison, and judge whether or not we have been true to ourselves? There seems to be a general consensus throughout history as to how to categorize what is in our best interest. I find this whole idea of staying true very deep and important, and have a hard time getting my head around it consistently (if ever). I think I try most, by trying to listen to what others have said, especially those whose words have stayed the test of time, whose lives were given more completely to this search than mine has been, or can be.

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  13. I think it means be who you are if you’re happy with who you are. If you’re a jealous person and unhappy with that, then by all means, try to change it, but don’t change just because other people hate your jealousy (provided you’re truly not hurting anyone).

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  15. I don’t think it means anything. I think it a pointless platitude that people think has meaning. If everyone was “true to themself” then we would have no families, no law and order.
    I think a better plan is to treat all mankind, including yourself, as an end, never as a means only. Maybe that’s what it means.

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  18. Staying true to yourself (on a personal note) is pursuing what you are passionate in. This is leaned on the more ’emotional’ aspect of our brain, rather the more logical (and some say) cold side of humanity. But the challenges that comes out of this determining ‘who you are’ and the ‘elimination of the unwanted traits’ that some have (examples here I think isn’t necessary since it was mentioned in the initial post above).

    Finding who you are can be sought out through ‘exploration’ – experience, and putting yourself out of your comfort zone. With every challenge that we overcome we set ourself for growth. In this self-discovery is inevitable and welcomed. There is the accepted opinion that people have both the good and bad side – by which is determined by the influences in our lives. Suffice it to say – we can only do so much to make sure we stay on the straight and narrow. The important part is to determine the right people to influence us in our growth.

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  19. How one stay’s true to yourself is to just listen to one’s instinct. And not worry about other people thoughts or opinions of you. Once you become consumed about what other people thoughts about you. It is almost impossible to be true to yourself, because you will always be worried about what others think.

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  20. I do agree with your ideas, but I think the major problem today is that schools (more than parents) are reluctant to teach even the concept. Being true to yourself–your values, your beliefs and ideals–is difficult under most circumstances, but it makes a person virtually a revolutionary. In schools, this is the person who asks questions when others do not, something that modern education even at the college level does not want to accept.
    I am leaving out the constant onslaught from the media because, in part it is obvious and overwhelming, and simultaneously has been channeled into the “social media,” which means a person can easily find others who share the same ideas, values and beliefs.
    The genuinely tricky thing is not only to have these concepts but to keep them as one ages, to turn down jobs (or quit them) for moral reasons, to live a somewhat more modest life if that’s the way things turn out, and–probably more importantly–being able to look yourself in the mirror every morning and not be embarrassed. My father said that to me many, many years ago, and frankly, I think he was speaking from experience. Whatever his reason, I think being true to yourself embodies that concept–to know in your heart and your mind that you have done what is correct morally for you, and thus allows you to face yourself each day without shame.

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  22. I hope that I have stayed true to myself. My conscience is so powerful and the thought of doing anything really bad creeps me out. It took a life time to be like this. I hate people who are mean and wicked to each to other. You know the scams that go on. People who are greedy and never help the poor.
    NFL Memorabilia

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  24. My litmus test of staying true to myself are my kids. Would I want them to act or think a certain way. I know I am being true to myself if my activity is something I want to pass on to my kids.

    Great question.

    Cheers,
    Louise

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  25. I think that being true to yourself means knowing that you don’t have to be prefect and focusing on your strengths instead of your weaknesses. It also means pleasing yourself instead of trying to please everyone else for the sake of being liked. It is a lesson that I’m finally starting to learn after a long period of self-hatred and depression.

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  26. My creativity! Sometimes I feel challenged to stay inspired daily to create.
    Either by writing about or photographing the world around me. I can easily be distracted by work and other commitments. I remain true to myself by creating……. daily!

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  28. You know what feels right for yourself. If you have to sacrifice your beliefs or go against what you yourself would want others to do in your place, then it’s not meant for you. It takes time to gain the kind of insight and trust in your abilities and personality to reach the point where you can look yourself in the mirror and say, “This is who I am, undoubtedly.”

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  29. being true to yourself is the thing we learned from the time we are able to learned to talk. Our parents teach us to be true to our self but when we come to the age of understanding we learned also to ignore those teaching, ignore the value of self respect, we also learn to lie. staying true to oneself means a well disciplined person we should be. learned to accept mistakes, learned to forgive our self and also forgive others.

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