go one’s own way—follow one’s inclinations; act independently:
- Parents need to realize that as children grow up, they’ve got to let them go their own way.
Note: The expression is not equivalent in meaning to the phrase have one’s own way—(also: have one’s way) do what one wants meeting with no opposition:
- Divide a nation into parties, or set your enemies at loggerheads, and you can have your own way.
go one’s way—
1. leave a place; depart:
- I told him I did not care whether he got into parliament or not; so he called me Mugwump and went his way.
2. = go one’s own way:
- Before starting my work, I got some ideas from the director, but he let me go my way from there.
Note: The expression is not antonymous in meaning to the phrase go out of one’s way—(also: put oneself out of the way) go to great trouble to do smth. well:
- Why does a daughter of mine, whom I’ve loved go out of her way to make a jackass of me?