The False Self Part 5
May 13, 2025
The False Self Part 5
“To thine own self be true” is a line from Act 1, scene 3, of the play Hamlet, by William Shakespeare. In the play, the king’s chief minister, Polonius, gives his son, Laertes a speech with those now-famous words. It is a father’s blessing and advice as Laertes leaves for university. “To thine own self be true “is one of the most quoted lines in Shakespeare’s works.
The entire line is: “This above all: to thine own self be true, And it must follow, as the night the day, Thou canst not then be false to any man.”
Yesterday, we reflected on the fact that sometimes we need to present a false self to protect ourselves and others. We reviewed that Jesus warned us not to cast our pearls before swine. However, some people may think we are being false anytime we present anything other than pure facts and that being false is deceitful and wrong in any context.
Some people may even feel shame unless they tell all the truth, give their opinion, and expose their thoughts Yet, if we follow that line of reasoning, every time we withhold information or an opinion, we would feel shame and are subject to the punishment of our inner critic.
So, let’s look at the Shakespeare quote above in everyday English:
“If we are true to ourselves, just as surely as night follows day, we can not be false to others.” This quote has an inherent nuance, which is very important: Even though we may not present the entire truth to others, we are not false if we are internally “true” with what we say or do. (This includes what we do not say or do.)
What are the circumstances by which we would be true to ourselves but possibly “false” to others simultaneously?
On the Enneagram of the Soul, Point One is Sacred Righteousness. When we go to this Soul Point in our journey around the Enneagram, we become especially sensitive to the alignment of our higher self and divine order. This alignment gives us greater transparency to divine guidance and the unfolding divine plan. Being in tune with the Divine leads us to act and speak with the soul's integrity regardless of our ego’s leanings.
We are the stewards of our souls' scared pearls. These treasures include the hard-won wisdom of our life experience, the inherited wisdom from parents and teachers, and our study, prayer, and action. Our sacred pearls have been won through our experiences and inner struggles about which no one other than ourselves knows.
But not everyone may be ready or able to receive our pearls. When we are in the space of Sacred Righteousness and Divine guidance, we know to whom we must give our pearls. We know those with whom we should not share these pearls. We also grant others the same right to cherish their sacred pearls.
Then, we are never false to anyone.
Spiritual practice: Try attuning yourself to become conscious of the false self’s withholding or disguising of information. What reason do you discover is behind your withholding? Is it to protect your pearls or to guard others from what they cannot hear right now? Or are there times when it’s simply your unchecked ego who may not want us to share of ourselves?
Self-inquiry: How important is it to you that other people know you are coming clean with everything?
Dear God,
I pray for the inner knowing that my inner truth is the most important of all. Amen
