Self Reliance Essay Example

Self Reliance Paper What is the most important line in Emerson’s â€Å"Self-Reliance†? Why? The most important line in Emerson’s â€Å"Self Reliance†, is â€Å"Trust thyself: every heart vibrates to that iron string. † (538) In other words, â€Å"if you trust yourself, then you will be strengthened by your decisions and actions. † Similarly, if you don’t consider and are not pressured by other’s thoughts, you will live a life solely based on what appeases you. Emerson believes that God is everywhere, present to inspire each individual. Emerson writes, â€Å"We lie in the lap of immense intelligence, which makes us receivers of its truth and organs of its activity. (539) We are all receiving unique inspirations, but our choice whether to accept the gift or reject it, is what makes us discomfited. Emerson argues that God’s manifest plan will not come to fruition if one conforms to societal norms; there would have been â€Å"no invention, no hope. † (538) This implies that advances in sciences would not have been possible if scientists had not challenged conventional beliefs. For example, Copernicus will not have refuted the earth’s centric theory if he did not believe in his own scientific inquiries. The divine presence that illuminates every soul sanctions self-trust. As Emerson writes, â€Å"A man is relieved and gay when he has put his heart into work and done his best. † (539) This statement most surely means that a man who does not conform to the rules outlined by society, but instead trusts himself and follows the path God has intended him to take, will be rewarded by excellence. For example, Mark Zuckerberg and Bill Gates are examples of men with supreme self belief, who flouted conventional thought, dropped out of Harvard, and pursued their dreams. The world has benefited immensely from these entrepreneurs. Furthermore Emerson writes, â€Å"Society is a joint-stock company, in which the members agree, for the better securing of his bread to each shareholder, to surrender the liberty and culture of the eater. The virtue in most is conformity. Self-reliance is its aversion. It loves not realties and creators, but names and customs. † (538) Emerson portrays how acceptance into society would result in the repression of the individual’s free will and other preeminent attributes, such as the expression of original thoughts and actions. We will write a custom essay sample on Self Reliance specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Self Reliance specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Self Reliance specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Conformation cannot be justified because of the liberties and self- beliefs surrendered to fit in. Therefore the only justifiable means of reaching your true God-given potential in society is being self-reliant. Self-trust and self-consciousness in society are indirect variations to each other and in that the need to conform to society is no longer a problem, because the level of your self-reliance has increased, and self-consciousness decreased. Emerson defines genius. To believe your own thought, to believe that what is true for you in your private heart is true for all men, that is genius. † (539) Man is inclined to dismiss his own inner thoughts and ideas, and yet is enthralled by what he sees in others. The belief that one’s own true thoughts are worthy regardless of others’ genius is to trust oneself, and be self-reliant. Works Cited: Emerson, Ralph Waldo. â€Å"Self-Reliance. † Harper American Literature Single Volume . 3rd Edition. 1999: 536-539 Self Reliance Essay Example Self Reliance Paper The essay of Self Reliance by Ralph Waldo Emerson discusses the three major points of the self-contained genius, the disapproval of the world, and the value of self-worth. I really enjoyed reading this essay and I found several quotes that I found interesting and relatable. Emerson says, To believe your own thought, to believe that what is true for you in your private heart is true for all men, † that is genius (Emerson). This quote is making a claim about knowledge. It means that what e perceive as the truth is true for every person of mankind because the truth is absolute and with no variations. This idea is Justified by this quote, Voice of the mind is to each, the highest merit which means that our inner voice, our own thought, is the ultimate source of excellence (Emerson). Here is another quote that I found particularly interesting as well, A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines (Emerson). Here, Emerson s making another claim about knowledge. He is explaining how we are affected by society. We conform to what society thinks is cool. We begin to create a false persona, a foolish consistency, which makes us ignorant and narrow-minded. We forget who we are and get caught up in nonsense, and that is exactly what society thrives off of. I agree with the first quote that I used, I find it hard to accept that people dont have a genuine perception of reality. I trust that everybody has good in them and knows the pure truth of things. We will write a custom essay sample on Self Reliance specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Self Reliance specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Self Reliance specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer When I sincerely believe in something with my full heart I have no doubt that it is the complete truth of reality. Its hard to speak for other people because I dont know their thoughts, perceptions and beliefs but I still think that we all have some sort of commonality of perception within us. I strongly agree with my second quote as well. I think that every human being, especially in America has conformed to societies standards. It is almost impossible to not to get engrossed in everything thats going on around us. Now that I realize it, almost everything in my life is based on societal standards, thoughts and ideas. Although most people are conformists I think it is important to have introvert tendencies. We all need to escape the prospects of society. It is important to think for yourself and do things for yourself. I always try to stay grounded and true to myself in everything I do. Works Cited: Emerson, Ralph W. Self-Reliance. Self-Reliance. N. p. , n. d. Web. 17 Nov. 2013.. Self Reliance By allielacocona