Be Yourself

He who trims himself to suit everyone will soon whittle himself away. – Raymond Hull

God has given you one face, and you make yourself another. – William Shakespeare

The life of every man is a diary in which he means to write one story, and writes another. – James Matthew Barrie

We are so accustomed to disguise ourselves to others that in the end we become disguised to ourselves. – FranÃ§ois VI de la Rochefoucault

If you cannot be a poet, be the poem. – David Carradine

A man who is “of sound mind” is one who keeps the inner madman under lock and key. – Paul ValÃ©ry, Mauvaises pensÃ©es et autres, 1942

I am told to just be myself, but as much as I have practiced the impression, I am still no good at it. – Robert Brault, rbrault.blogspot.com

Almost every man wastes part of his life in attempts to display qualities which he does not possess, and to gain applause which he cannot keep. – Samuel Johnson, The Rambler, 1750

Hateful to me as the gates of Hades is that man who hides one thing in his heart and speaks another. – Homer

“Be yourself” is about the worst advice you can give some people. – Tom Masson

Learn to… be what you are, and learn to resign with a good grace all that you are not. – Henri-FrÃ©dÃ©ric Amiel

I am much better employed from every point of view, when I live solely for my own satisfaction, than when I begin to worry about the world. The world frightens me, and a frightened man is no good for anything. – George Gissing

No man can climb out beyond the limitations of his own character. – John Morley

Never apologize for showing feeling. When you do so, you apologize for the truth. – Benjamin Disraeli

If God had wanted me otherwise, He would have created me otherwise. – Johann von Goethe

Let the world know you as you are, not as you think you should be, because sooner or later, if you are posing, you will forget the pose, and then where are you? – Fanny Brice

At bottom every man knows well enough that he is a unique being, only once on this earth; and by no extraordinary chance will such a marvelously picturesque piece of diversity in unity as he is, ever be put together a second time. – Friedrich Nietzsche

The most exhausting thing in life is being insincere. – Anne Morrow Lindbergh

Ride the energy of your own unique spirit. – Gabrielle Roth

Originality is… a by-product of sincerity. – Marianne Moore