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What does it mean to be yourself?
Be yourself. Listen to yourself. Don’t listen to anyone. Do what you believe is right… How often we hear these phrases when we are searching for answers to the questions that arise in our lives. All of this sounds reasonable and correct — for some people, perhaps even self-evident.
In the powerful stream of information online, hundreds of texts, videos, and other materials are available the moment we formulate a question. Sometimes we come across information that is completely contradictory in meaning and content, and we find ourselves at a loss — which path should we choose in order to solve the problem we are facing?
We ask friends for advice, sometimes even specialists, and yet there is still no clear understanding of how we should act. And when we hear: just be yourself… it can feel confusing. What does that actually mean? How does one do that? The phrase sounds clear in words, yet inside there is no response, as if this idea of “being yourself” were something foreign, something that has nothing to do with us — almost like an abstract concept that exists somewhere on its own.
Then another question arises, this time about the word yourself. Do I actually know who I am? What kind of person I am? Yes, perhaps I know that I am a tall blond with blue eyes and a warm smile — along with a few other details that people easily notice about me. But beyond that? Who am I really? What kind of person am I in my very essence?
Sometimes these questions remain unanswered. We may never have looked inward with respectful attention. We may never have given ourselves enough time for that. Many of us were taught so insistently that taking an interest in ourselves is selfish, almost improper.
Yet when we begin to explore this question, it often brings many discoveries — some unexpectedly beautiful, others less pleasant. For some of us this process may be blocked in places or difficult to move through. And still, those who eventually see the full picture of themselves — in its original form, shaped both by nature and by the course of their lives — gain the chance to finally understand something essential about themselves. The fog begins to clear, and a moment arrives when one can say: now I know who I am.
Sometimes I imagine this process as drawing information onto a blank contour map — gradually recreating the landscape of one’s personality, the terrain of one’s unique essence.
It is important to look at this rich and complex landscape with love and respect. And to begin relating to our own characteristics and limitations, our strengths and weaknesses, when making decisions in life.
As Benedict Spinoza once said:
“When you are alone, you must know exactly with whom you remain.”
We ask friends for advice, sometimes even specialists, and yet there is still no clear understanding of how we should act. And when we hear: just be yourself… it can feel confusing. What does that actually mean? How does one do that? The phrase sounds clear in words, yet inside there is no response, as if this idea of “being yourself” were something foreign, something that has nothing to do with us — almost like an abstract concept that exists somewhere on its own.
Then another question arises, this time about the word yourself. Do I actually know who I am? What kind of person I am? Yes, perhaps I know that I am a tall blond with blue eyes and a warm smile — along with a few other details that people easily notice about me. But beyond that? Who am I really? What kind of person am I in my very essence?
Sometimes these questions remain unanswered. We may never have looked inward with respectful attention. We may never have given ourselves enough time for that. Many of us were taught so insistently that taking an interest in ourselves is selfish, almost improper.
Yet when we begin to explore this question, it often brings many discoveries — some unexpectedly beautiful, others less pleasant. For some of us this process may be blocked in places or difficult to move through. And still, those who eventually see the full picture of themselves — in its original form, shaped both by nature and by the course of their lives — gain the chance to finally understand something essential about themselves. The fog begins to clear, and a moment arrives when one can say: now I know who I am.
Sometimes I imagine this process as drawing information onto a blank contour map — gradually recreating the landscape of one’s personality, the terrain of one’s unique essence.
It is important to look at this rich and complex landscape with love and respect. And to begin relating to our own characteristics and limitations, our strengths and weaknesses, when making decisions in life.
As Benedict Spinoza once said:
“When you are alone, you must know exactly with whom you remain.”