What do you like and/or dislike about Emerson’s views? For instance, do you agree with Emerson’s advice to “trust thyself”? What about his statement that “Whoso would be a man must be a nonconformist”? Do you see any potential problems with this philosophy?
I like that Emerson’s philosophy encourages people to trust their intuition and have self-confidence. I agree with Emerson’s argument that having a secure identity and personal platform that is not defined by a group is both admirable and advisable. Generally speaking, I agree with Emerson’s principle of “ trust thyself”. I tend to question myself and change my decisions and behavior to conform to other people and their expectations for me, and doing so does not play to my advantage. Following intuition and adhering to personal beliefs are important; however, being unreceptive to other perspectives as a result can be detrimental. Emerson, in my opinion, does not acknowledge this. He praises nonconformity without recognizing that at times, it can hinder progress in a society. Another issue I find with Emerson’s philosophy is that it can easily be turned into an excuse for ignorance. If to be a man is to be a nonconformist, then there would be a population of people who are unreceptive to new discoveries and the knowledge we could derive from them.
Ralph Waldo Emerson’s views of transcendentalism shine clearly through his work in “Self-Reliance.” Emerson as a transcendentalist emphasizes the importance of the origin of knowledge and the ways mankind has lost its origin. He often uses the analogy of man to nature. He states that men must act completely reliant on themselves, just as nature only relies on itself. Emerson believes that men should do as they think and not be influenced by other men, listening to others opinions and others experiences “loses your time and blurs the impression of your own character.” I like how Emerson states that we should not be angered or saddened by others when you are acting on your own truth. It is a good lesson we still use today: be yourself, don’t listen to what others say about you. However, Emerson takes the extreme side of this argument and goes to say that we should not listen to previous scholars or that we should not want to travel and experience new environments. I do not agree with this statement because I believe that if man is truly self-reliant he should be allowed to achieve or learn anything he wants to. Emerson claims to “trust thyself” while also giving a lengthy essay on why you should trust him and the words he is saying. Though hypocritical, Emerson does highlight many virtues we as a society still use today such as to live in the present and not dwell on the wrongdoings of our past. This philosophy can no doubt bring about vanity and conceited individuals and the flow of knowledge will always occur as long as people continue to birth and raise children in their own values.
I agree with Emerson that you need to trust yourself because you are the only one that can make yourself happy and whole. I also like that he pushes for people to not be conformists and to have thoughts for themselves. I do not think that Emerson was necessarily telling people to go directly against the voice of institutions, such as the Church, I think he was just trying to get people to be independent. You cannot trust others to make decisions for you and your wellbeing and it is dangerous if you do. I really liked when he was talking about how men measure each other by what each has, not what each is, towards the end of the reading because I think that is a really important and interesting point. I feel like people still do that today; they build their opinions of others based on their house or how much money they have, instead of on what kind of person that person is.
At the beginning of Self Reliance, there was a big emphasis on thinking for oneself rather than only listening to other people’s ideas. This is where Emerson’s advice to “trust thyself” came from. To an extent, I understand Emerson’s point and I agree with him. I think it is important to have some knowledge and be able to think about things for yourself, rather than blindly trusting others to know everything. There is a point, in my opinion, where it is necessary to rely on experts and others who are more knowledgeable. I like Emerson’s view about not conforming to societal standards. He wants people to have individualism, to act for themselves, and to not be bothered by others’ judgment. I think the statement “Whose would be a man must be a nonconformist” has some good to it, namely people not letting their lives be defined by others. But if it were truly acted upon, the world would be people acting only for themselves. There would be no concern for others and society would feel the harmful effects of that. This ties into Emerson’s advice to be a risk-taker, saying that no negative effects can come from it. If people always just acted for themselves, their risks could lead to damaging others. There needs to be some regard for others for a society to properly function.
Personally, I somewhat subscribe to the philosophy of transcendentalism laid out by Ralph Waldo Emerson within this passage. Emerson essentially believes that humankind should be self-reliant and embrace ideals such as individualism, free thought, and nonconformity. Moreover, transcendentalism is specifically concerned with humans’ connection to nature as a form of spirituality. This philosophy embraces a much more individualist spiritual approach to religion, which I find admirable. As someone who has experienced religious trauma from organized religion, I appreciate the way in which this philosophy stands in staunch contradiction to the traditional means of practicing religion. The only problem I really have with this philosophy is that with such a focus on the individual within society, it can be difficult to find a common good for the public. This could potentially make governance very difficult and lead to a society in which social progress could become difficult since it is too focused on preserving the rights of the individual as opposed to the collective population
In “Self-Reliance”, Emerson talked about many ideas of transcendentalism. When stating “trust thyself”, he said that relying on others opinion is cowardly and that a person with self-estem is childliked and exhibits orgainilty, but is still mature. He said that children exhibit the most self-reliant behavior because they have no care for what people think of them. When writing the quote “Whoso would be a man, must be a nonconformist,” Emerson showed a lot of how he rejected society’s beliefs. For example, he said that abolitionists should worry more about their own self and family rather than “black folk a thousand miles off”. He also spoke about how people who gave money to the poor shouldn’t and asked “Are they my poor?”. After reading “Self-Reliance” ,I can say that like any other author, Emerson has some good points/beliefs and some bad points/beliefs. He does encourage individuality, but also encourages other things.
Emerson’s views are quite intricate. He posits that one should rely on yourself and look inward for guidance. I think his advice to trust oneself is good advice, but should be taken with a grain of salt. For instance, one should not take advice from someone who is not trustworthy, but there does exist a population who can give out very good advice. Emerson’s idea that you should look inside for guidance is valuable in many cases, but I think getting help, guidance, and advice from others is essential in building your own character. I think Emerson’s idea about being a non conformist is also very solid advice. I agree that It is unwise to change oneself to be like others. I agree with Emerson that being your own individual and listening to yourself is essential in growing into a good member of society. In conclusion, I like what Emerson is saying and mostly agree with his ideas about self-reliance and being individualistic, but would argue with him about taking advice from others.
Emerson’s idea of “trust thyself” reflects his transcendental ideals and is also something that I agree is a good way to go about life. When you really think about it, you and only you are able to make yourself truly happy. So when you begin to live for yourself, you can only find happiness. I also see how this is a reflection of his transcendentalist views, since being out in nature does not cause conformity like he talks about American society does. Our media, culture, and overall life here causes a loss of individuality and self reliance since we are always (consciously or subconsciously) doing something to fit into the ideals of someone else. We constantly see what someone else looks or acts like, and if theyre more culturally accepted, we strive to be like them. It’s a really interesting notion to think about, since we grew up in this society as our normal, but it’s eye opening to think about the level of conformity in American culture through this lense.
In “Self-Reliance,” Ralph Waldo Emerson says that “whoso would be a man must be a nonconformist,” which means that for an individual to reach their highest potential, they must follow their souls. They cannot conform to someone else’s ideas or those of the rest of society. I agree with his opinion to an extent. However, I believe you lose value and character to your unique identity if you spend your life constantly trying to “fit in.” As a result, you lose your originality, and society becomes bland and conventional. Today, many individuals are unsure of their proper morals and beliefs and constantly change their behavior to conform to those around them. Because of this common notion, pursuing your intuition and values is necessary. But, without respecting the opinions of others or considering them, society becomes corrupt. Emerson glorifies nonconformity but doesn’t realize how it can lead to a hostile community and increase an isolated lifestyle.
Overall, I like Emerson’s views on the foundation that you need to rely on yourself to receive your confidence, self-esteem, happiness, etc. instead of relying on others to determine whether you are deserving enough or good enough. I agree that you should be able to be yourself and the idea of not conforming yourself to an ideology just because that is what society suggests you do. I do believe that there can be too much of a self-reliance on oneself that could be harmful. One of the arguments Emerson makes is he gives an example of children and how they are great about not criticizing others and following their own path and experiences. What I would see as a problem is that it is good to trust your experiences but there will always be someone older who has had more experience in everything or even in a particular field. When it comes to experience I believe it is directly related to age, but when it comes to knowledge that it isn’t correlated to age but just every situation is different. Another argument he makes is about it being okay to change your belief systems and shouldn’t worry about not sticking with what you believed years ago. I think there is a fine line between being okay with evolving and reflecting and realizing what someone’s core beliefs are but I think there is a point where it is too much and people shouldn’t just change their beliefs just because or because it benefits them better now. So I would say overall, I agree with the foundation of Emerson’s arguments, but I don’t believe in the extremist views and overdoing those actions or beliefs.
Emerson asserts in “Self-Reliance” that one must trust themself. I agree with this statement; however, the extent that Emerson believes self-trust and individualism is imperative, I think ignores the need of the common good. Trusting yourself is imperative in guiding an individual’s sense of self as well as their contributions to society. But Emerson expands the idea of self-trust to be in complete opposition to similarities in the human experience. Being a nonconformist is inherently conforming to a duality of life, conformity and nonconformity. By asserting that “Whoso would be a man must be a nonconformist,” Emerson pushes this idea that one must follow their inner beliefs and thus are nonconformist. This ideology ignores that importance of society and the continuation of a common good for all. By overemphasizing individuality, Emerson pits the idea of individualism and the common good against each other while, in reality, specialization and individualism can further the common good by aligning self interest and societal benefit.
While I do think there is merit to Emerson’s advice to “trust thyself”, overall, I think that the degree to which Emerson thinks people should rely on themselves is too extreme. Throughout the entire essay, Emerson does not concede at any point that there may be benefits to relying on others. He seems to think that every action taken, should be towards self-interest, even if your self-interest maybe something evil. I think it absolutely ridiculous to say such a thing. That mindset will only lead to arrogance, distrust, conspiracy, and loneliness. However, I do think that some self-interest is good and a few of the points Emerson makes are valuable. I think it is important to come to your own decisions and opinions, and not let the public opinion dictate your world view. However, I believe it is equally important to at least here out and acknowledge what the public opinion is, and be open and willing to change your mind based on that. Sometimes, a person’s opinion can be very harmful to the public, and if that’s the case, that person should be able to recognize that, and be willing to change their opinion for the greater good. It always about finding a balance between independence, and the ability to not conform, but learn from others. I don’t think it’s ok to benefit yourself by harming the public.
I really like Emerson’s views in “Self-Reliance”. A phrased that really stuck with me is, “There is time in every man’s education when he arrives at the conviction that envy is ignorance; that imitation is suicide; that he must take himself for better, for worse …(20).” I feel like this excerpt captures a lot of Emerson’s main concepts in this piece, because it discusses how growing older and maturing teaches people to accept themselves. I found this really interesting because in my experience parents and other people that are of an older generation seem to care less about what others think of them. They seem to have accepted who they are and feel more confident about their identity. This is reflected in Emerson’s piece as he discusses how feelings of jealousy and trying to be something you are not will get you know where in life, and how we learn that as we get older and wiser. I think that these concepts go hand in hand with his philosophy to “trust thyself”, because at the end of the day the only person’s opinion that really matters about us is our own. If we can trust ourself to not always be correct, but to learn from our mistakes and develop wisdom over time, we can grow into the person we want to be. The only problem I see with his philosophy is that it takes time. I think the ability to feel this confident in one’s own intuition is through experience, and significant experiences happen over time. A younger person may need a little more time to develop this sort of confidence in themself and in their “gut”.
I agree with the majority of the topics Emerson talks about throughout “Self-Reliance”. Emerson speaks on how the most important realization any person can have is that they have to trust themselves in order to succeed above all others. I believe this is the right way to go about life most of the time. When I do not believe in myself or I begin to question myself, I tend to get nervous and end up in the wrong situation. Emerson also encourages people to strive to reach their full potential and to make the most out of themselves which I also agree with. One of the lines I do not completely agree with is when Emerson says “whoso would be a man must be a nonconformist” this means that in order to reach your highest potential, one must follow their souls and not conform to tradition or someone else’s preset. I do not agree with this statement because you can’t just rely on yourself to reach your highest potential, yes it is good to believe in yourself 100% of the time but it is also good to get advice from other people and conform to tradition or someone else’s preset when necessary.
Overall, I think that Emerson’s beliefs have some merit to it, but there has to be a balance between the two opposing ideas. Emerson emphasizes the importance of individualism and personal choice, which is emphasized by the following quote: “Whoso would be a man must be a nonconformist.” The reason that we, as humans, have such a wide diversity of ideas and beliefs comes from this concept, and ultimately, these differing opinions spark creativity, innovation, and reform. However, there is a major flaw with Emerson’s logic and his arguments, and this weakness is only exacerbated by his decision to include the analogy to his belief to that of young children’s attitudes. Emerson believes that the individualism and defiance that young children exhibit reflect his beliefs, which is extremely ironic, considering that children of that age operate mostly off of instinct, and this world would be a much worse place if everyone acted based on their desires. Guidance is an essential part of society, and I believe that we can still achieve the future that Emerson wants if we build our own beliefs off of previous ideas.
Emerson’s philosophy on relying only on yourself and not allowing yourself to be shaped by public societal values is something I really like. I think that it is always good to be your own person and forge your own ideas, rather than relying and idealizing the standard or doctrines from the past. Trusting blindly can be disastrous in some cases, and paints you as just following the crowd rather than having your own opinions. However, I think there comes a point when there should be some action for the public good. Emerson’s ideas convey a complete and utter prioritization of the individual within the society rather than acting for the public good. His viewpoint would almost seem to cause a societal breakdown, with no remorse for any struggling within it. Everyone would be wholly self-centered, and this would lead to nothing but catastrophe as everyone would be clashing with everyone to serve only their self-interest. Self-reliance is good to a certain degree, but can have an extremely negative effect on society.
Emerson’s view of trusting himself is very well supported in his essay “Self Reliance”. He believes that one should trust who they are because they should be living for themselves and not the opinions of others. This idea also translates to his writing about being present in the moment and owning who and what you are. There is a pure relationship between the soul and the divine spirit, by maintaining this connection the mind becomes simple, just as being a human being is simple. Emerson writes, “There is no time for them. There is simply the rose; it is perfect in every moment of its existence.”(28). This translates into his idea of trusting one’s self. I agree with his statement and work everyday to accept who I am and work towards being content with who I am in the present moment. The acceptance and reliance on one’s self can lead to greater happiness because your internal connections are all at peace.
I like Emerson’s idea that you can truly only become happy and find yourself through your own needs and wants. I think that the influence of others in society that can cause competition and jealousy have a direct relationship with our own happiness and therefore limiting them would allow us to truly find ourselves. However, I also think that he fails to recognize how hard it is to be self reliant when we as humans heavily rely on being social. It is really easy to say that I can be self reliant, form my own thoughts, and do what’s going to make me happy, but when I’m introduced to societal pressures every day, its a huge challenge to follow through with a life that I want to live. As Bridget mentioned in her response, I found the quotation “There is time in every man’s education when he arrives at the conviction that envy is ignorance; that imitation is suicide; that he must take himself for better, for worse …(20),” to be very helpful in understanding Emerson’s views. “Imitation is suicide” specifically stuck out to me because pretending to be someone we’re not is essentially killing the one soul that we have, and therefore killing ourselves. While I’m aware that it is much more difficult to live a life completely true to yourself, I think that Emerson was correct in saying that self reliance and nonconformity will greatly benefit our lives.
I think they are plenty of things in Ralph Waldo Emerson’s “Self-reliance” that I agree with. He talks about trusting yourself and self-contemplation. If you have that gut-feeling about something, you should usually trust it. Also, I think he is getting at self-reflection acting as a higher level of thought. Emerson feels that if you can analyze yourself, you can achieve a deeper maturity and growth from within. I agree with this idea and find myself often dissecting my own thoughts and actions. Secondly, Emerson’s thoughts on non-comformity were also interesting. He believes that the highest level of yourself is in original thought, not listening to the ideas of anybody else. This is difficult for me to agree with because I think other’s opinion can help shape a better you. You can see new angles or see a perspective you would have never seen. A problem may arise with this ideology if the person using it becomes self-centered and believes their word is the Almighty truth.
Emerson’s message in “Self Reliance” is to be as organically individual as possible. To live through the lens of a child who has not yet been biased by society. While I agree with this message and enjoy this reading along with most transcendental perspectives, I do feel it is important to take into account that the life we live today is strictly conditional on the society that we accept. I feel that there is definitely space in today’s world to live with individuality and choose paths less traveled but there is also a distinct societal aspect of every thing that we do today. It is important to stay skeptical of these constructs but that does not mean that they disappear. To use the United States as an example, citizens of the country may have varying backgrounds and beliefs and lifestyles, but there will always be a tie that binds them in the established society of the country. The security of the country lies in the economic churning of its citizens and the duties we all hold. Therefore, while I may feel that living in an instance in which that construct did not exist may be nicer, there are advancements and security in signing that social contract. I see many pluses of his philosophy but I feel that if it were applied to life today, there would not be a great chance for its true success.
I believe Emerson came off as a complete and utter narcissist and arrogant man. His whole argument was that anyone who evers tried to conform to society in any way or try and fit into society was an utter buffoon. He was so condescending of other people’s actions even though the whole premise of his argument was to not care about what others think of you and to do what you feel is the most right for oneself. What if someone truly believed how society was naturally progressing was the correct alignment for them? What would Emerson think about that situation? There are so many holes in Emerson’s logic throughout all of “Self-Reliance”. He truly believed that he was one of the best philosophers to ever live and that nobody has ever thought like he did and that everyone in the future should think like he did. He also made some very selfish arguments. For example, he believed people should not help all the poor, only certain ones that fit their interests. He also believed that people should not help the poor if they are not doing it for the correct interests. That is an extremely entitled point of view which can only be written from a man who has never had to work a day in his life. Also, he talked a good deal about just living on one’s own and finding solace in oneself without the help of any others. This is also extremely entitled because a vast majority of people do not have the resources to be “self-reliant” and live as a hermit out in the country. Honestly, I believe Emerson had the “my way or the highway” philosophy simply because nobody could stand to be around him. He was arrogant, rude, narcissistic, judgy, illogical, and entitled. His quote about the timely nature of roses was one of the only passages in the essay I was not angry about.
I agree with Emerson’s statement, “Trust thyself.” I think everyone should trust in themselves, their guts, and their beliefs, and not conform to society’s views. I think that especially today it is easy to just follow what everyone else is doing and believe in the same things they do so that you are not an outsider, but it is important to trust yourself in knowing what you think is unique to you as a person. I somewhat agree with Emerson’s statement, “Whoso would be a man must be a nonconformist.” I think in this statement the idea that people shouldn’t be a conformist is correct, but in this case, I think the problem with this statement is that it can be taken as breaking conformity should always be done, but taking this approach can in turn make it more difficult for the individual. In some situations, it is appropriate to not conform to what society believes but this belief should not be used all the time.
Emerson’s Self Reliance asserts that conformity is a roadblock to an individual’s own imagination and independence. Emerson argues that all people are born with an inherent sense of virtue and intuition. Yet, as a person steps out into the world, they quickly retreat their voice in response to others. There is a mob mentality in society, which diminishes individuality and suppresses society from new perspectives. I appreciate that Emerson advocates for trusting thyself and looking inward to find a greater understanding of one’s self and society. However, it seems that Emerson looks at things in a linear fashion. He is basing his principle on the idea that all humans are instinctively seeking goodness and morality in themselves. This is not a very developed argument Emerson makes because if every man used himself as the judge, jury and executioner, society would be filled with ignorant, uncooperative, selfish people. There is a reason that conformity exists. To conform with others is to establish common ground and be able to rely on each other. Self reliance may work in the privacy of one’s own home, or even in one’s own mind but it surely doesn’t work in the real world.
Personally, I do agree with Emmerson’s advice to “trust thyself” because without one’s ability to have confidence in their own emotions, actions, and words then humanity as a whole would progress much slower. Emmerson’s point rings true, however I do think that it is extremely crucial to also consider the opinions of others, especially those who hold more knowledge and experience than you. The key component to individualism and nonconformity is to remain absolute to yourself with high confidence in your ability, but this can also be a gateway to hindering your success. Those who remain to themselves with no other external judgment or information cut off any form of developing their mindset. It is crucial to experience others’ opinions in order to solidify your own. Overall, I agree with Emmerson’s points about trusting oneself with the intention to remain true to your own opinions and ideas, however I think it can be very problematic for the collective. I have always been taught the principles of individualism versus collectivism, and while both are necessary in their own light, the opinions of the majority will always overcome the individual.
I believe that Emerson’s view is correct to an extent. It gives people confidence and to trust there gut because many people do not trust there I
instinct even though it may be correct. What I like about Emerson’s view is that he expects people to be transparent in there views because it brings about a sense of individuality and original though. He beliefs that conformity mutes societies genuine thinking, and thus as a result we live in a society that thinks the same and expresses the same thoughts publicly. I do agree with Emerson’s advice to “trust thyself” because more so people’s intuition is right than wrong. From my personal experience I I have found to be right about 60 percent of the time. I feel as if though this philosophy should not be taken into excessive measures, and should be limited to prevent radicalized nonconformity. Emerson brings about a problem of conformity within todays society that has been silencing original good thoughts due to fear of public opinion.
I like Emerson’s thoughts on the divine and spirituality. At the time he was writing people believed their only connection with the divine was through a church and could not be obtained any other way. A real relationship with the divine was not seen as plausible or an actual thing, but Emerson believed that it was. I agree with Emerson’s thoughts on self preservation and trusting oneself. Intuition and self confidence is something that a lot of people still struggle with in the present day still. Intuition is something that I trust about myself very often because I have found that gut instincts are normally right. I think Emerson loses me personally when he says that not conforming with society and those around you is a bad thing and doesn’t help things progress, because I think it does. Our society doesn’t recognize that differences are what bring people together and make the world a better place, and Emerson seemed to fail to recognize this as well.
In Self-Reliance, Emerson states, in many different ways, that man should “trust thyself.” He feels that to be true to yourself and only yourself, not considering society’s view, is the best thing a person can do. I however, disagree with this sentiment in a certain matter. Emerson’s push to trust oneself can lead to misinformed conclusions. If one does not look at outside sources and other people’s opinions, one loses sight of the bigger picture, all sides of an equation. I believe that your gut feeling is important, and it is definitely true that you should not give other’s opinions and beliefs too much sway on your own, where you are simply conforming to society for society’s sake. But going by your gut feeling alone is simply choosing to be arrogant and ignorant. There is a fine line between arrogance or ignorance and self-assurance. While that line cannot be drawn exactly, Emerson definitely crosses the line with his thinking.
I liked the ideal of individualism that Emerson stressed throughout “Self-Reliance.” Breaking societal norms and conformity is a common theme seen throughout history, but Emerson developed this idea by creating a new philosophical movement, transcendentalism. Throughout the first portion of the piece, Emerson emphasizes the importance of thinking for oneself rather than accepting the ideas of other’s or gaining knowledge from books. Individual experience and thought is the most important. Emerson’s advice to “trust thyself” is a common piece of advice that I agree with. Rather than relying on others, trusting oneself improves self-esteem and originality, which objects to conformity. Emerson disagrees with the idea of conformity and even rejects most of society’s moral sentiments, such as donating to organizations. Conformity, or people pleasing, essentially wastes a person’s life and rids them of their creativity and unique contributions. According to Emerson, children are the perfect model of individualization because they aren’t subject to the effects and responsibilities of society. However, I do think this model can be argued against because there are many free-thinkers and non-conformists found throughout society. Additionally, children can be molded to become conformists, which is why individualism is an important topic in education. Despite the challenges, I think Emerson’s views are sound and I respect them.
I like Emerson’s ideology, granted I believe a slightly watered down version would be more effective, but none the less I like it. I really appreciate his idea of self reliance, and being able to think and create culture for oneself. I would, however, be hesitant to completely be reliant on myself as I personally am a social creature. I was always taught to follow my heart, going loosely with Emerson’s theme of following ones own individual will, but I was also taught that I should work to help others in my life. His points on self empowerment and fulfillment really intrigued me, as it is my own belief that even if you spend all of your day being praised by those around you one cannot achieve true happiness with the absence of self acceptance. Put plainly, you can’t feel the love of others if you can’t first love yourself. I also agree that nonconformists are optimal to helping drive the development of society as we know it, but to the points of several people above if everyone is a nonconformist then nothing will ever get done. I agree with Emerson in the fact that people need to think for themselves and be independent in that respect, however, it is also my strong belief that being able to work together is one of humanities greatest aspects. So that being said, my main gripe with Emerson is that he thinks that we as humans need to be completely independent, whereas I would argue that we are at our core social creatures with individual minds.
In “Self Reliance”, Ralph Waldo Emerson urges his readers to trust their intuition and not fall prey to the confining nature of authority. It is most interesting to me to trace how this idea to “trust thyself” and not conform to authority has moved throughout history. First, we can see this idea through the readings we have completed on Aristotle and Socrates. Emerson even cites at the end of “Self-Reliance” “Socrates, and Jesus…and every pure and wise spirit that ever took flesh” was misunderstood. Thus he plainly indicates that he derived inspiration from these prominent historical figures. Of course, the movement of transcendentalism spread beyond Emerson to Henry David Thoreau, Margaret Fuller, as well as throughout philosophical America. Presently, advocacy for self-love and daring to be different are pumped into schools, social media, and modern pop culture. I wonder how this idea will continue to manifest itself in the future? With the way our society and government are set up, I do not believe those who wish nonconformity will ever be satisfied.
I like the idea that Emmerson presents. I think sometimes, especially in our current society it can be easy to be influenced by social media, politics, etc. Now more than ever Emmerson’s ideas can be applied to everyday life. Its very easy to see something on social media or tv and go along with it without giving it much thought, however if we stopped to truly think about our own core beliefs and how they apply to the situation more times than not you may find yourself with a different stance then you began with. The people around us have such a huge influence on our thoughts and day to day actions. Taking a step back to analyze your own thoughts and beliefs is something we often forget to do. I believe its important not to be influenced by society but to have your own beliefs based off the facts and information you take in, not by the opinions and ideas of others.
Emerson’s views in “Self-Reliance” are too extreme in my opinion, but do have some merit. Society does harm people by setting unreasonable expectations, creating unjust systems, forcing people to conform to life paths they do not agree with, etc. In that vein, self-reliance is important. People should reject parts of society that harm them and learn to create their own opinions. However, relying on others at times is beneficial. For many, it is simply not possible to get through life on their own. Humans are naturally social creatures, and receiving support from others is often essential for people to make it through difficult times. If every person adopted Emerson’s views completely, society would never progress. It would be made up of selfish individuals with no concept of how to compromise, effectively communicate, or be righteous. This is why it is necessary to strike a balance between self-reliance and relying on/learning from the people around you.
As Emerson says, “trust thyself”, “every heart vibrates to that iron string.” It’s as if the world forces you to conform. His statement about nonconformity allows you to question and reflect when you are a part of the majority. Emerson tells us that the key trait of self-reliance is obedience and faith. It is following the course of this inner wisdom. I agree with Emerson who believes you need to be willing to step outside of what everyone else is doing and trust yourself as a taskmaster. Of course, we don’t want to disappoint people and with that, it takes godlike courage to ignore the criticism of the world and believe in your work. Self-reliance can only take you so far. When I thought of any potential problems if every man were a nonconformist, I was just questioning how everyone would be a nonconformist. . .wouldn’t that just become the norm in the nonconforming majority?