To be or not to be: that is the question

Billy Shakespeare wrote Hamlet around 1599–1601, the same as now, people like Prince Hamlet wrestled with demons and inner turmoil. So much energy can be wasted on bad thoughts that churn you up inside, these are ultimately destructive and lead to negative consequences.

So think it through:

“To be, or not to be: that is the question:
Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,
And by opposing end them? To die: to sleep;
No more; and by a sleep to say we end
The heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks
That flesh is heir to, ’tis a consummation
Devoutly to be wish’d.”

Here's a breakdown of the key points from the Bin Day Blues Bard:

1. "To be, or not to be: that is the question:" Hamlet is contemplating the fundamental question of whether it is better to live ("to be") or to die ("not to be").

2. "Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, Or to take arms against a sea of troubles, And by opposing end them?" Here, Hamlet is considering whether it is more honorable ("nobler") to endure the hardships and challenges that life throws at him or to actively fight against them and, in doing so, bring them to an end.

3. "To die: to sleep; No more; and by a sleep to say we end The heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks That flesh is heir to," Hamlet reflects on the idea that death is like a peaceful sleep, and in death, one can escape the emotional and physical pains inherent in life.

4. "’tis a consummation Devoutly to be wish’d." Hamlet suggests that death is a desirable and devoutly wished-for conclusion to the difficulties of life.

In conclusion, life can be tough, but don’t be like Hamlet. It’s better To Be. It’s always better To Be.