"to thine own self be true" meaning in English

{
  "etymology_text": "From a monologue delivered by the character Polonius in Act I Scene III of Hamlet by William Shakespeare.",
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  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "proverb",
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        {
          "ref": "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:",
          "text": "This aboue all, to thy owne ſelfe be true,\nAnd it muſt follow as the night the day,\nThou canſt not then be falſe to any one, […]",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1977, Robert P Marinelli, Arthur E. Dell Orto, editors, The Psychological and Social Impact of Physical Disability, Springer Publishing Co., →ISBN, page 306:",
          "text": "\"To thine own self be true,\" I saw, was what produced vitality, confidence, and genuine expression in one's interpersonal relations.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1986 August, Gary Diedrichs, “Bewitched”, in Orange Coast:",
          "text": "Know thyself. To thine own self be true. For the man or woman who can confront the demon within, there is a hopeful prognosis.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1995, Paula C. Rust, Bisexuality and the Challenge to Lesbian Politics: Sex, Loyalty, and Revolution, New York University Press, published 1995, →ISBN, page 51:",
          "text": "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.\"",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2004, James M. Morris, Andrea L. Kross, Historical Dictionary of Utopianism, Scarecrow Press, published 2004, →ISBN, page 262:",
          "text": "\"To thine own self be true\" whatever the consequences was taken as the principle of true freedom and humanity by the romantics.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "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:",
          "text": "As Shakespeare wrote, \"To thine own self be true,\" at least according to what kind of person you believe yourself to be.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Be yourself; be true to yourself; do not engage in self-deception."
      ],
      "id": "en-to_thine_own_self_be_true-en-proverb-5s9QKiKV",
      "links": [
        [
          "Be yourself",
          "be oneself"
        ],
        [
          "true to yourself",
          "true to oneself"
        ],
        [
          "self-deception",
          "self-deception"
        ]
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "sense": "proverb",
          "word": "對自己忠實"
        },
        {
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "roman": "duì zìjǐ zhōngshí",
          "sense": "proverb",
          "word": "对自己忠实"
        },
        {
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "proverb",
          "word": "ole rehellinen itsellesi"
        },
        {
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "proverb",
          "word": "sois loyal envers toi-même"
        },
        {
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "proverb",
          "word": "sii sincero con te stesso"
        },
        {
          "code": "ja",
          "lang": "Japanese",
          "roman": "onore-ni chūjitsu de are",
          "sense": "proverb",
          "word": "おのれに忠実であれ"
        },
        {
          "code": "ko",
          "lang": "Korean",
          "roman": "jagi jasinege jinsil doeeora",
          "sense": "proverb",
          "word": "자기 자신에게 진실 되어라"
        },
        {
          "code": "la",
          "lang": "Latin",
          "sense": "proverb",
          "word": "quisque sibi verus"
        },
        {
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "budʹ véren sam sebé",
          "sense": "proverb",
          "word": "будь ве́рен сам себе́"
        },
        {
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "budʹ véren samomú sebé",
          "sense": "proverb",
          "word": "будь ве́рен самому́ себе́"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "to thine own self be true"
}

{
  "etymology_text": "From a monologue delivered by the character Polonius in Act I Scene III of Hamlet by William Shakespeare.",
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      "expansion": "to thine own self be true",
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  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "proverb",
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        "Terms with Mandarin translations",
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        {
          "ref": "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:",
          "text": "This aboue all, to thy owne ſelfe be true,\nAnd it muſt follow as the night the day,\nThou canſt not then be falſe to any one, […]",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1977, Robert P Marinelli, Arthur E. Dell Orto, editors, The Psychological and Social Impact of Physical Disability, Springer Publishing Co., →ISBN, page 306:",
          "text": "\"To thine own self be true,\" I saw, was what produced vitality, confidence, and genuine expression in one's interpersonal relations.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1986 August, Gary Diedrichs, “Bewitched”, in Orange Coast:",
          "text": "Know thyself. To thine own self be true. For the man or woman who can confront the demon within, there is a hopeful prognosis.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1995, Paula C. Rust, Bisexuality and the Challenge to Lesbian Politics: Sex, Loyalty, and Revolution, New York University Press, published 1995, →ISBN, page 51:",
          "text": "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.\"",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2004, James M. Morris, Andrea L. Kross, Historical Dictionary of Utopianism, Scarecrow Press, published 2004, →ISBN, page 262:",
          "text": "\"To thine own self be true\" whatever the consequences was taken as the principle of true freedom and humanity by the romantics.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "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:",
          "text": "As Shakespeare wrote, \"To thine own self be true,\" at least according to what kind of person you believe yourself to be.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Be yourself; be true to yourself; do not engage in self-deception."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "Be yourself",
          "be oneself"
        ],
        [
          "true to yourself",
          "true to oneself"
        ],
        [
          "self-deception",
          "self-deception"
        ]
      ]
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "sense": "proverb",
      "word": "對自己忠實"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "roman": "duì zìjǐ zhōngshí",
      "sense": "proverb",
      "word": "对自己忠实"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "proverb",
      "word": "ole rehellinen itsellesi"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "proverb",
      "word": "sois loyal envers toi-même"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "proverb",
      "word": "sii sincero con te stesso"
    },
    {
      "code": "ja",
      "lang": "Japanese",
      "roman": "onore-ni chūjitsu de are",
      "sense": "proverb",
      "word": "おのれに忠実であれ"
    },
    {
      "code": "ko",
      "lang": "Korean",
      "roman": "jagi jasinege jinsil doeeora",
      "sense": "proverb",
      "word": "자기 자신에게 진실 되어라"
    },
    {
      "code": "la",
      "lang": "Latin",
      "sense": "proverb",
      "word": "quisque sibi verus"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "budʹ véren sam sebé",
      "sense": "proverb",
      "word": "будь ве́рен сам себе́"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "budʹ véren samomú sebé",
      "sense": "proverb",
      "word": "будь ве́рен самому́ себе́"
    }
  ],
  "word": "to thine own self be true"
}