Themes
First of all, be what you are.
— Georges Bernanos · La joie (Joy) 1929
Behind the line May contain spoilers.
Our reading
An editorial interpretation.
Before anything else, the speaker urges, be your genuine self. The line puts authenticity first, ahead of any other aim or virtue, and implies that whatever else one attempts should rest on honesty about who one is rather than on pretence.
Context reviewed