Cliches To Live By

What principles define how you live?

Shakespeare used serious elements in his comedies to make them more realistic, and added comic elements to his tragedies to heighten (or deepen) the gravity of the action. We see a strong example of this in the Scottish play with the Porter, who plays at being Hell’s doorman; it’s ironic, since his playacting is a harbinger of the hell that Scotland, under the rule of Macbeth, will become, and that the castle, with the murder of King Duncan at the bloody hands of Macbeth, already is.

Another comic moment can be found in Hamlet, when Polonius gives a long-winded speech of advice to his son Laertes before the latter’s departure to France. Actually, Hamlet is full of advice; we hear it in this scene, Polonius’ fatherly counsel to Ophelia about Hamlet’s behavior, step-father Claudius’ unheeded advice to Hamlet, and the oft-quoted Hamlet’s advice to the players.

Taking my cue from the loquacious and bombastic Lord Chamberlain of Denmark, I offer three phrases that define how I live.

First, not from Shakespeare but rather quoting airline safety regulations, I often say, “Put your own mask on before assisting others.” Some define this as learning to love yourself before helping others. There’s also the component of being mentally, physically, and spiritually healthy and whole before attempting to assist those around you. Take care of you before trying to take care of others.

Second, to echo Polonius directly, “To thine own self be true.” I think one of the worst sins (if I may use the religious term) is hypocrisy. Saying one thing and doing another is the worst. I have sometimes been told by another about a third party and what a terrible person the third party was because they did such-and-such a thing! I would remain silent as they castigated that person, because I had done the same thing. For me to condemn the sinner for something I too had done would have been, to me, the greater sin of hypocrisy.

Finally, “Treat others as you would have them treat you.” Yes, the Golden Rule that has been ascribed to numerous philosophers and religious teachers for centuries still has value. This would be an excellent rubric or metric for so many people today. When the unrest in Myanmar was occurring, there were American citizens who were calling for the same to happen in the USA to their political opponents. Never did they think that they might be the ones dragged from their homes into the streets to be killed. Perhaps this phrase, as Hamlet says in his famous soliloquy, would have given them pause.

How about you? Are there quotes you live by? Share in the comments, and please like and follow!