Sometimes in life it isn’t easy to be yourself, especially when you are a teen and especially now, with social media and other people, telling you all the ways you do or do not measure up. High school is a time of thinking about who you are, what you stand for and also who you want to become. It can be a challenge to remain true to yourself and your core values. With this in mind, students were asked to interpret the quote,  “Don’t change so someone will like you, be yourself and the right people will love the real you.” Here are some of their responses.

I think the quote “Don’t change so someone will like you, be yourself and the right people will love the real you” means that you should be true to yourself and those around you. People often change their behavior and who they are because they want to fit in. This quote is saying to be you and not change so that in time, you will eventually fit in with people who are genuine to themselves. It’s for the best that you be true to yourself, even if you’re trying to get someone to like you . If you need to change just for someone to like you, chances are that you and that person aren’t really meant to be. You should find someone who is genuinely interested in you and who can accept you for who you are. That’s what the quote means to me.

– Levi Abad

I think the quote above means if you do not fake it till you make it and you be yourself, you will find the people that really got yah back. This means that you shouldn’t change yourself at the cost of your being. Instead you should try to change yourself at your own pace, for your own reasons. When you change for someone, your friends will find difference in you and you can’t disown your boys.

– Oshen Ruis

This quote means to just be yourself in the world. Hiding your real self or personality isn’t good. If you don’t love yourself , how are you going to love someone else? Love your self to the fullest and don’t hide the best parts of you just to fit the standards of someone you like, because how will they know you if you hide it?

-Amystin Yaris

The quote means if you be yourself you will be with the right people. I personally know this because I spent years trying to be someone I’m not, until I met a true friend who loves me for me. I suggest being yourself because those who don’t like the real you, don’t deserve you.

-Kalena Bloede

This quote, to me it means, be yourself, don’t change to get your name out there. Be you everywhere you go, don’t change for certain people, show your true colors. Anything you do should be yourself 100%. When ever you laugh, laugh. You go to work, work. When you eat, eat like its you last meal. No need to change for other people and be who you want to be in life, always a hundred percent.

-Joshua Cappal

The quote means that pretending to be someone you are not won’t get you true friends because they won’t know the real you. Being yourself will find you friends who will have your back and like the real you.

-Ayden Ramos