More from Helen Mirren

You are my other self. We are one. I am another yourself. The Mayans just had a more beautiful way of saying we're all in this together.

HM

Helen Mirren

Tulane University Commencement 2017, 2017

26:54

Video starts at 26:54 — the moment this quote was spoken

The Story Behind This Quote

In the emotional conclusion of her speech, Mirren revealed a tattoo on her left hand — the Mayan word 'Inlakesh,' meaning 'you are my other self.' She got it in the early 1970s during what she called 'that glorious and confusing time' of young adulthood, when she was searching for answers everywhere. The phrase encapsulates a simple but profound responsibility: if I am you, I have a responsibility to you. If you are me, you have a responsibility to me. Mirren urged graduates to carry this interconnectedness as they go out to fix a 'crazy, crazy world.'

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