What does it mean to "face yourself"?

I think it means to evaluate the good and bad parts of yourself, especially if you keep running into the same situation over and over again and are wondering if something you are doing is causing that to happen. If the situation is a good one, you might want to have it happen again and so you’d repeat that behavior. If it’s a bad situation, you might want to evaluate what behavior you are repeating that causes it to happen so you can avoid it. I don’t think it’s about achieving perfection as much as it’s about achieving the results we want in different situations in life.

To me I think it means to not run away anymore. Be who you are and face the truth or the lies that behold beneath the shadows. So stop running away. Has someone said that to you or are you just wondering? Remember this is just what I think I could be wrong.

My interpretation would be to take a look at the things in your life others see that you may not see or deny are at play in your life.

I think it means to take a look at yourself. No one is perfect but you may need to change a few things about yourself.

I agree with what has been said. It is taking a good look at yourself, your beliefs and your actions. No more excusing the bad character traits or things you have done. Own up to yourself about who you really are. Whether you choose to change or try to improve is another choice to make after you come to grips with the truth about yourself – you may be okay with it or you may feel the need to work on some things.

If I were to face myself I would be seeing myself for who I really am. That would mean knowing and understanding myself under all situations. What are my likes and dislikes and am I really true to myself.

I’m a fan of Mad Men, and other fans on the TWOP forums about the show express great frustration that Don Draper will not “face himself” and accept who he is. This charge is also leveled at his ex-wife Betty to some extent. For those who don’t know, “Don Draper” is really Dick Whitman, the son of a whore who died giving birth to him, and the town drunk who paid the whore a quarter to use her as, basically, a masturbatory aid. As a young man, he swapped dogtags with a dead officer in order to get out of Korea, an officer Dick accidentally killed at their isolated base. Dick then decided to keep using this man’s name to escape his incredibly awful family. Just know that Dick still thinks with regard to his past as if he’s still 20 and obligated to to think of himself as only the son of a whore, and not a divorced 40-year old with three kids who’s the king of NY advertising.

The idea that before Matt Weiner ends the show’s run, Weiner will not create a circumstance when Don Draper really grows as a human being has the fans discussing whether or not this is a copout dramatically, but then I wondered, this isn’t how real life works, is it? People don’t change like that.

The vehemence with which people are upset that Don didn’t “grow” this season struck me. There’s no way that people aren’t taking this story personally on some levels, so I wanted to see how people view what ‘facing themselves” really means or what that constitutes and how someone who’s facing themselves would behave or deal with their lives.

I would say it means own up to your faults type of thing. Your not perfect face your human and mistakes will happen.

“This above all: to thine own self be true”.

It means to look in the mirror.

@aprilsimnel I am so sad that I don’t get to watch a Mad Men episode tonight!

I think Don is learning bit by bit to “face himself” afterall, he brought his kids to California. I think he’s actually grown a lot. Change is scary, and it does happens for people only when they are ready. I see facing yourself as being self aware. Where blind spots and hidden self in the Johari window become less.

@KhiaKarma – I like that schema. I’ve never seen that before.

One only needs to face themselves if they’ve been in denial about something, imo. I don’t need to face myself because I’m always upfront and am aware of my character, why I do what I do, etc.