Ralph Waldo Emerson and "self Reliance"

Emerson's "Self-Reliance"

Ralph Waldo Emerson emphasized individualism and self-reliance through his works as one of the best transcendentalist writers of all time. Emerson believed that people should act according to their own beliefs instead of on the beliefs at which others were trying to conform them to. Emerson wrote his essay "Self-Reliance" to encourage youth to pursue actions that they themselves believe. For example Emerson states "Nothing can bring you peace but yourself. Nothing can bring you peace but the triumph of principles" (Emerson 372) Emerson also sought to teach youth the importance that each person is "basically good" is capable of making wise decisions, and should be given the respect of all other individuals. Along with the respect from others Emerson stated that people should follow simple guidelines such as Self-Trust, Self-Respect, and Self-Command to achieve a happier fuller life. Emerson stated this, "Men have looked away from themselves and at things so long that they have come to esteem the religious, learned and civil institutions as guards of property, and the deprecate assaults on these, because they feel them to be assaults on property. They measure their esteem of each other by what each has, and not by what each is" (Emerson 372) To live in a world with a society that conforms to be accepted, Emerson has displayed why self-reliance, and individualism might just be the better route to travel.

In addition to self-reliance and Individualism, Emerson stressed the importance of rejecting Social Norms. Emerson stated that he was different himself, and that he wasn't afraid of what people thought about him as a person.This is because all that matters is how you yourself think of yourself. Emersons goal in his essay "Self-Reliance" was to bring people to that state of mind. Emerson clearly states that it is better to be different, to trust in yourself, than it is to conform to what society wants you to be. "Trust thyself: every heart vibrates to that iron string" (Emerson 372) Although we want something, Emerson states, we should look at what we already have, or are, rather than what we don't, or what we aren't. When we as a body of people come to understand this we can better learn to appreciate life. Emerson enlightens us when he says "Envy is ignorance; Imitation is suicide"