What is the correct quote that is very much like this paraphrase:
"Beware of the stories you tell yourself, for you will surely be
lived by them." It was said by a Shakespeare character.

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Request for Question Clarification by directrix-ga on 17 Sep 2003 14:17 PDT

I have searched through all of Shakespeare's works, and could not find
a quote similar to that.

From my searching, it appears to be a quote from a psychology book
(Which, in turn, is a paraphrasing from the Dhammapada). Would
information regarding this be an acceptable answer?

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Clarification of Question by hardscrabble-ga on 17 Sep 2003 19:17 PDT

I need to discover what actual quote from Shakespeare the author of
that psychology article was paraphrasing. Thanks.

It seems thematically linked to "O, beware, my lord, of jealousy! It
is the green-eyed monster which doth mock the meat it feeds on." from
Othello (act III, scene 3). Othello is jealous...he believes the
stories he's concocted in his head...and because he acts on his
beliefs, tragedy ensues...he is "lived by" the fiction he has created.

However, the article you quote, which is about adolesence and the
creation of self, makes me think the quote might refer to Hamlet
instead.

It's also similar to themes in Titus Andronicus about acting out
ancient myths, if that's any help.