To thine own self be true

Polonius:
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.
Farewell, my blessing season this in thee!

Laertes:
Most humbly do I take my leave, my lord.
Hamlet Act 1, scene 3, 78–82

A quote from Shakespeare, there. Never thought I'd end up quoting the Bard in the blog today... but that's what happens when you start mulling over a particular phrase or saying and end up tracing it right back to the source... this follows a period of self-reflection. Did I make the right decision there?

Sure, came the initial answer. Got to be true to yourself, haven't you? Which led me up to this point, and to the realisation that Shakespeare made the character of Polonius a bit of a parody of a character - more the fool than the wise man...

And I keep asking myself the question:  so, then, am I guilty of simply spouting platitudes and glib phrases, or do I actually want to be out there making a difference in this world?

Do I want to be simply true to an altruistic public image, or more that I want to true to who God has made me and wants me to be?

Am I prepared to upset the apple cart?

Are people prepared for the fallout if I start saying things that people won't like?