Do you live your life to be true to yourself, or do you live your life to please other people?
Please, no scripture or copy/paste. Your own thoughts, please.
Thanks, Barbara, for the inspiration.
2006-09-24 05:45:11 · 36 answers · asked by ? 4 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
I know your situation, Spookshow. Stay strong.
2006-09-24 05:52:06 · update #1
Personally, I live my life to be true to myself....
Professionally, I live my life to please others....especially if I want to keep my high paying job.
***and I am wise to know the difference....
2006-09-24 05:47:21 · answer #1 · answered by Charlie Bravo 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Well I am the altruistic type by all measures though I still feel like it is human nature to be selfish. But I live my life in apathy alot of the time always waiting on other people and what they want me to do. It is like this at work, at school, and at home. Then when I get together with my friends and they ask me what I want to do I usually don't know cause I am not used to picking what it is I am going to do and I am a little taken back. Perhaps it is my tender age of 21 and my male status as a house painting apprentice, a university student, and an only child that lives at home with both parents. It won't always be like this, just until I finish school then I will have grown and willl flourish into who I am acually going to be by my choice and more to my doing!
2006-09-24 05:50:41 · answer #2 · answered by Beano4aReason 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Let's break the question down.
If I live my life to please other people, what is the possible result?
I will be "other directed" meaning I will always be looking to others in order to confirm my existence and my value. An extremely sad place to be. It is also very dangerous in my humble opinion because it leaves the person open to abuse. This is the fundamental basis for toxic relationships. One person functioning as "victim servant" while the other exhibits misogynistic behavior. On the other hand...
If you live your life being true to yourself, you welcome the "other's" truth which will usher in a more positive, beneficial relationship for both. Also, if you are true to yourself and you wish to serve, that service will then come from the heart; from an honest place. The result being, those being served will be appreciative of the service and more likely to offer help by their own hand when needed.
Personally, I love the old Jewish tale about what happens when you die and meet god for the first time. They say that god will not ask you why you didn't become Moses. Instead, god will ask you why you didn't become (fill in your own name here).
Act on your own truth.
2006-09-24 05:58:35 · answer #3 · answered by gjstoryteller 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I have to live my life to be true to myself. It is the only way that I can survive. If I were to 'sell out' and be the 'good girl' that society wants, I would die a little each time I did that. By being a strong woman, I find that life can be very happy and the people around me like me a lot more than if I were doing anything to try to please them. That doesn't mean I don't bake birthday cakes for my parents and kids, it doesn't mean I don't dress up for dates, it doesn't mean I don't give freely to charity. I do those things as much for who I am, as to please the other people. I hope this makes sense to you.
2006-09-24 05:49:26 · answer #4 · answered by swarr2001 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I think that most people live life with a little bit of both. You always strive to stick up for your own beliefs, morals, and standards. However, part of being human is also achieved in recieving joy from making others happy. Thus, it is all about maintaining balance.
2006-09-24 05:47:36 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Life has to be a balance between those two extremes. Life's about moderation. If you only live for your own satisfaction, you are greedy, selfish, un-compassionate, undiplomatic, and vain. If you only live to serve others you are a door-mat, have no self-reliance, might be codependant. There is more to be said of the virtue of living to serve others, but I feel a balance of the two is best for healthy living.
2006-09-24 05:49:56 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
I find it so hard to be true to myself. It's as if I'm living my life in a tiny box that I can't let myself out of. Parts of myself come out around different people; friends, family, coworkers, but never my whole self. I try not to think about it too much of i find myself wallowing in a depression hole I can't climb out of. Maybe at the bottom of that hole is the key to my little box.
2006-09-26 10:34:59 · answer #7 · answered by Angelina DeGrizz 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Both if possible, especially when pleasing others doesn't betray your own essence. When both are in conflict, I weigh my possibilities. I mean, a white lie will not "be true to myself", but the good you can do with it overweighs the little "betrayal". On the other hand, if I had to go against my principles, I'd most probably not do it.
2006-09-24 06:13:37 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
After a few years of trying to find out who I want to be...I live my life to be true to myself..
I find the less chaos and cr*p I let into my life the better I am and the more I like myself.
Because I live my life this way.....oddly it pleases most people.
2006-09-24 05:51:38 · answer #9 · answered by daljack -a girl 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Honestly. . .
I despise this truth, but I am a slave to my job, my house, my children. I do love my children, and choose to do whatever it takes to provide them with what they need, but the result has been that I have a job that is good but stresses me out, and a house that I don't want, and I have to keep the same, for the sake of keeping the same.
I live to live. I guess I aim to please my children, but they really aren't that pleased by it. I think they would rather have more of my time and a less nice house, toys, clothes, and food.
2006-09-24 07:46:39 · answer #10 · answered by Smiley 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Oh my. I have always been selfish about my life. It is all mine. There has never been any reason for me to live otherwise. I want the people that I love to live their lives true to themselves, as well. I am selective about the people that I really let in.
2006-09-25 06:53:36 · answer #11 · answered by Gorgeoustxwoman2013 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋