Self-reliance Essay - 1187 Words

1.amp;#9;The essay that I elected to read and analyze was amp;quot;Self-Relianceamp;quot; by Ralph Waldo Emerson. 2.amp;#9;The Transcendental Movement held a strong opinion that one should have complete faith in oneself. Emerson, being an avid transcendentalist, believed in this philosophy. He supported this concept that we should rely on our own intuition and beliefs. amp;quot;Trust thyself: every heart vibrates to that iron string.amp;quot; Emerson, along with the Transcendental Movement, believed in the vitality of self-reliance. One must have confidence and belief in oneself. amp;quot;†¦the only right is what is after my constitution; the only wrong what is against it.amp;quot; Once one has reliance upon oneself, he can†¦show more content†¦These people, more often than not, turn out to be correct, and later generations benefit from their genius. The amp;quot;outcastamp;quot; has become great, and his name will live forever, or until somebody new comes along to defy his teachings. amp;#9;I was drawn to this statement because it is so true. It has been proven time and time again that those who elect to be different are banished from their communities. After their death, unfortunately, they are appreciated for their greatness, and they are newly regarded as heroes. Emerson himself, along with the Transcendental Movement, were not fully appreciated until years after their deaths. The true truthfulness behind this statement reflects a major flaw of society. amp;#9;b).amp;#9;amp;quot;The effect of society was not to strengthen the individual, but to breed conformity and fear.amp;quot; amp;#9;This statement reflects Emerson’s conflict with society. In his eyes, society was created in order to enforce rules that were generally accepted as correct. In the event that someone disagreed with these rules, he would be punished and reprimanded for his amp;quot;sin.amp;quot; Society cannot exist if this is not true; however, Emerson saw this as a direct violation of the rights of the individual. The individual cannot succeed in society; the individual is different, and society scorns that which is different. Society is a breeding ground forShow MoreRelatedSelf-Reliance636 Words   |  3 PagesSanaya Williams PH-221 Professor Bradley Final Paper- Ralph Waldo Emerson Self-Reliance â€Å"Self- Reliance† is considered one of Ralph Waldo Emerson’s best-known essays. The essay was first published in 1841 in his collection, Essays: First Series. This essay contains the most thorough statement of Emerson’s emphasis on the need for individuals to avoid conformity and false consistency, and instead follow their own instincts and ideas. This essay shows Emerson’s ways for making and translating classicalRead MoreSelf Reliance Is Beneficial Or Beneficial1222 Words   |  5 PagesAn issue regarding thinking has been on the importance of self-reliance, the notion of relying on oneself for ideas and knowledge. Some people argue that self-reliance is harmful. From this perspective, self-reliance generates bad thoughts and ideas, and people should conform to society instead. However, others argue that self-reliance is extremely important for society. Ralph Waldo Emerson, a main proponent of this view, says that â€Å"To believe your own thou ght, to believe that what is true for youRead MoreThe Foul Reign of Self-Reliance2108 Words   |  9 PagesCollin Kennedy The Foul Reign of Self-Reliance My first exposure to the high-flown pap of Benjamin Anastas’s â€Å"The Foul Reign of Self-Reliance† came in a quiet library at the private institution where I had enrolled to learn the secrets of education and because I wanted, at the age of 21, to fulfill my philosophy core and graduate on time. Cute openings aside, Mr. Anastas has a significant amount of gall calling his private school teacher Mr. Sideways when it seems, to me, that he is the one withRead MoreEssay The Puritans Beliefs on Self Reliance758 Words   |  4 PagesThe Puritans Beliefs on Self Reliance Are we or are we not? That is the question. Does the current generation of Americans have the same values and morals of the Puritans of the 1600’s? Some would say yes and others would say no. This paper will show both sides of the argument. It will discuss whether or not we share the values of self-reliance and honesty like the Puritans treasured. This essay will discuss the importance of the family and home to the Puritans and compare that to today’sRead MoreSelf-Reliance By Charles W. Eliot1201 Words   |  5 Pageshimself this is a quote about self reliance by Charles W. Eliot, he was an American academic who was selected as Harvard s president in 1869 and also attended Harvard. In this essay, I will describe what self-reliance is to me, state my opinion on why being self reliant is necessary and how it can help people in there lives, and I will be creating a plan on how I personally can be more self-reliant based on books I ve read or knowledge I have already about being self-reliant also by living with peopleRead MoreKeys to Personal Leadership - Initiative and Self Reliance1418 Words   |  6 Pagesyou wind your own clock. In the sales profession, one who exhibits initiative and self-reliance is considered a selfstarter – a leader. No one needs to tell them what time to get up and go to work. If they’re in a new situation they take the initiative to ask. They ask, seek, and knock. People enter a profession without background all the time and succeed because they practice the leadership quality of self-reliance. They take personal responsibility for developing the necessary skills and knowledgeRead MoreSeeking Independence in Essay Self Reliance by Ralph Waldo Emerson985 Words   |  4 Pagesindependent of others. In Ralph Waldo Emerson’s essay â€Å"Self-Reliance†, he tells us that once people are able to be independent, they should be an individual who believes in themselves and does not conform to society. In American culture today, there are people who go with the flow and do what everyone else does. On the other hand, there are people who are unique and self reliant, a nd they are the ones who â€Å"set the trends†. American culture values self-reliance to the extent that although the majority of peopleRead MoreThe Spiritual Emerson : Introduction And Chapter 1 Summary894 Words   |  4 PagesThe Spiritual Emerson: Introduction and Chapter 1 Summary Emerson s essay on self-reliance unearths a plethora of distinctive lessons that serve to guide the people of society in each of our pursuits to become fully human. Serving as the overall driving idea behind the essay, Emerson details the significance of man valuing and acting upon his own ideas and judgement. He writes, â€Å"To believe your own thought, to believe that what is true for you in your private heart is true for all men,—that isRead MoreEmersons Self Reliance5249 Words   |  21 PagesR.W. Emersons Self-Reliance The essay has three major divisions: the importance of self-reliance (paragraphs 1-17), self-reliance and the individual (paragraphs 18-32), and self-reliance and society (paragraphs 33-50). As a whole, it promotes self-reliance as an ideal, even a virtue, and contrasts it with various modes of dependence or conformity. Self-Reliance Paragraphs 1-17. The Importance of Self-Reliance. Emerson begins his major work on individualism by asserting the importance ofRead MoreSelf-Reliance Essay946 Words   |  4 Pageswhere everyone does as he or she wanted, much chaos would be present. In Emersons Self-Reliance, he shares his version of an ideal society where nobody conforms to one another. Even though his ideas maintain influential in modern society, his impractical world contradicts with human nature and ceases to encourage any nation to establish such a society. I have recently read Ralph Waldo Emerson’s, Self –Reliance, and have many different thoughts about the essay. I personally think he is a weird