There is a common saying that is quite cliché but very influential by none other than the renowned Shakespeare: “To thine ownself, be true.” As teens, our social lives often revolve around the opinion of others, but the reality of it all is that the opinion of others revolve around you.

   A simple reason a teen should or shouldn’t do anything is simple–because your legal guardians said so, and there will be consequences if you don’t. After all, they know best because they are older and wiser; they have received twice as many scars from dumb decisions. And, of course, as loving parents, they have your best interest at heart.

  One thing people always need to remember is that you are your own unique person. Don’t be like others (at least, not entirely) or else you might forget who you are. And if anything else, others will forget you because you blend in so nicely with the crowd.

  The third reason is extremely important– impersonating someone else could get you arrested. Of course, this is not always the case, but it is evident that others could become suspicious of your true identity. Apart from getting arrested, the worst case scenario is that no one will ever trust you again, which makes it very difficult to make new friends.

  As an inspirational classroom poster once said (or still does), “You can’t be anyone else because everyone else is taken.” Obviously a person cannot morph into another person’s body and if they can, there is a serious issue there. However, since most people cannot do this, the reality is if you had someone else’s life, you would be missing your own in a matter of minutes.

  Now something everyone should realize and respect is that someone else’s good looks tend to come from their own personal inspiration. Of course, this is completely acceptable as long as it’s planned. However, copying someone’s personal image for some time can become rather obnoxious. Besides, you cannot always work someone else’s look as well as they can, so sometimes it’s best just to leave it to them.

 The main key to happiness is staying true to yourself and being happy with who you are. Mimicking others is like living in a world with no colors and no diversity. We all like the world with a splash of color, so be a rainbow and spread it everywhere you go.