Timeless wisdom from Hamlet

I often return to Polonius's advice to his son Laertes in Shakespeare's Hamlet. To me, it is timeless wisdom.

The passage is in Act 1, Scene 3, as Laertes prepares to leave for France. In plain English, the advice is:

Think before you speak or act. Be friendly and exercise judgement about how familiar you become with people.

Keep friends whose loyalty you have tested close. Take time to choose new friendships.

Avoid unnecessary quarrels. If you find yourself in one, stand your ground.

Listen widely, speak selectively and consider criticism before reaching a judgement.

Dress well within your means, with attention to quality and restraint.

His advice on money is to avoid borrowing and lending. A loan can cost both money and friendship; habitual borrowing can weaken financial discipline.

Then the line: “to thine own self be true”. One way to read it is to act with integrity and consistency, so that your dealings with other people are honest too.