Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “you can have joy or you can have power, but you can’t have both.” This transcendentalist quote may appear to be inherently simple, but it can become quite profound in its explanation. I felt that the best place to start interpreting Emerson’s words would be would be The Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. Power was defined as the “possession of control, authority, or influence over others,” while Joy was defined as “the emotion evoked by well-being, success, or good fortune or by the prospect of possessing what one desires.” My first literal interpretations lead me to disagree with the quote. I reasoned that “possessing what one desires” could agree with “possessing control, authority, or influence over others”. I began to think that it could not be that simple, and that there must be much more to both sides if Emerson was wiling to say it. The following paragraphs are my reasons, opinions, and assumptions on what I believe the quote could mean.
The first example that came to my mind was how I have much more control and influence over my world than I used to. Does that mean I am powerful? I am usually pretty passive, so I hope not, but I thought about how I can drive, hunt big game, and almost buy cigarettes. It appears to me that my ability to influence the world around me is in correlation with the amount of responsibilities I have. I now have a job, and have to worry about car insurance, buying gas, and driving safely. I think how much happier I would be without a job, and various “holes” in my wallet, and wonder if my brother, who is four years younger than me, is more joyful. He can go home after school, and watch T.V., he can sleep in on the weekends, and play video games while I’m at work; ye...
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...ngst a group, especially when it allows me to set up closer and more meaningful relations.
It can also be stated that some people thrive on organizing, and supervising other people. It is possible for some to find joy in their power. These people usually make a busy life part of their routine, and they probably enjoy having responsibility. Yes, they have more to worry about, but looking back at the end of the each day they can see what there is to be happy for, and the change they created.
Emerson did know what he was saying. No Question. There are always exceptions to rules and quotes like his, but that does not in any way diminish their importance. I am pretty sure that I know what he was trying to say, but I become confused when I start looking at it from different perspectives. Over thinking, could be the exact thing Emerson wished to elicit from our minds.
What is power to a human? As time has gone by, there have been many forms of control and influence in the world. Many strive to achieve total rule over a society or group of individuals. Yet the question still presents itself to the average man. Why does man desire power so greatly even though there is visible trouble that follows? Shelley’s Frankenstein, Vonnegut’s “Harrison Bergeron”, and Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, whether through the situation or the character themselves, depict the evils and hardships due to an imbalance and poor management of power.
Contrary to popular belief, power does not give a person everything needed in life. Power gives people an illusion of a perfect, ungrueling life which- news flash!- is probably the total opposite of what power actually bestows upon people. Within The Count of Monte Cristo, Edmond Dantes is mistreated with due to abundance of power Monseuir Villefort has, causing Edmond to later seek power to avenge for the mistreatment caused to him. Almost everyone in the book either loses or gives up their power in the end, thanks to Edmond. Viva la Vida, similarly, depicts the story of Louis XVI possessing immense power and then being deprived of the same power he once thought was going to be in his fist forever.
“My husband had this wonderful magnetic quality-this glow-he’d just point those incredible blue eyes at you and you’d feel like you were under a big hot sun or something…” (O’Brien 195). Many people described Paul Wade, John’s dad, as powerful and influential. So influential, in fact, a kid from John Wade’s class claims he “wish[es] he was my father” (O’Brien 67). Often, the words power and influence go hand in hand. However, these words possess two different meanings. According to the Oxford Learner’s dictionary, power is defined as “The ability to control people or things ” (Oxford Learner’s). While power is described as the ability to control, the term influential is defined as “The effect that somebody/something has on the way a person thinks or behaves or on the way that something works or develops” (Oxford Learner’s). Paul has little power over John; however, Paul’s indirect influence leaves a long lasting, negative impact on his son’s actions.
When Emerson states," The soul always hears an admonition in such lines, let the subject be what it may" he wants the reader to think about
Power allows people to do anything they want. They can use it in different ways, they can tell people to obey them, they can use it to hurt someone they hate, and even rob. They can also use it in a positive way, they can help people and do a lot of good things with it.
He creates this idea that we should not spend our time praising those saints and gods that came before us. He believes that if we choose to live as though there was no history or great men before us that we are better able to aspire to greatness and perfection. Instead of relying on those from the past he believes we should decide for ourselves what we believe. (pg. 295) “It makes no difference whether the appeal is to numbers or to one. The faith that stands on authority is not faith. The reliance on authority measures the decline of religion, the withdrawal of the soul. The position men have given to Jesus, now for many centuries of history, is a position of authority.” Emerson further backs his position through his use of parallelism and satire in this quote.
The book Anthology of American Literature isn’t the only source that supports Emerson. Critic Eric Wilson says, “Emerson’s famous "transparent-eyeball" passage early in Nature is often taken to be an exemplary statement of the transcendental sublime. Yet, if we read it as a restatement of his vision in the Jardin des Plantes, we realize that it reveals Emerson as a sign in nature’s text, a hieroglyph, describing his own design, dissolving his own solution” (Wilson). The solution Emerson wanted was to find out who he was through nature and still be divine. Emerson shows that it’s okay to find faith in yourself.
Power is both a mental and physical characteristic that people define through knowledge, strength, and money. People who embody these traits are exceedingly hard to come by and almost cease to exist. In today’s age it is a demanding task to find a person who has absolutely mastered a specific trade. For an individual to become powerful they must acquire a vast amount of knowledge in that subject area to convince others and prove their arguments factual. A knowledgeable being will have a sharp edge over competitors allowing them to rise to the top, leaving opponents in the dust. People who have obtained a substantial amount of strength are more likely to be successful when attempting tasks and missions. An individual who has strength has more stability, courage, and fortitude. A person who displays these attributes has what it takes to control large amounts of people as well as face those people in a devastating situation. In this society it is impossible to gain access to power without one very valuable resource. Most people spend a rather large portion of their day either carrying, counting, or spending this power-granting asset. With money an individual can purchase anything they desire and prove status to other lowlife humans. The more money a person has, the more materialistic goods they can possess. Many people who have very large quantities of...
When first reading this quote many thoughts go into the readers mind. How can one man make the assumption everyone is a genius? Everyone has seen the lackadaisical students that only try to get by in life and do the least amount of work possible, so how can Emerson, a philosopher, have the courage to risk his knowledgeable expertise to say everyone has determination, and the ability to become a genius? It is simple, he doesn't, although one might think he is due to inattentive reading. Emerson is not saying everyone is a genius and their all the same, he's simply implying all students share an opportunity at being the best they could possible be. If you continu...
Our society often confuses personal power, our power within, with our power over, which is about controlling others. There is a vast difference between personal power and control.
Since man can see all, it seems logical that therefore he can define it however he should choose (Emerson implies this later in the essay). Therefore, man also can define himself Man can create his own world in the world created for him. Unfortunately, this may again lead to the corrupt society that Emerson condemns.
The size of a group is considered to be a restrictive condition on the quantity and quality of connection that can transpire amongst particular members. Kephart (1950) established that as group size increases the number of relationships that exist among member’s increases greatly. He suggests that as a result of this increase in relationships among members there will be an increased tendency towards divisions into subgroups in which participants relate to one another.
Emerson provides many examples to help illustrate his point. In the beginning he gives the example of an acquaintance of his, Sir Charles Fellowes. He explains how he
Power has been defined as the psychological relations over another to get them to do what you want them to do. We are exposed to forms of power from the time of birth. Our parents exercise power over us to behave in a way they deem appropriate. In school, teachers use their power to help us learn. When we enter the work world the power of our boss motivates us to perform and desire to move up the corporate ladder so that we too can intimidate someone with power one day. In Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness Kurtz had a power over the jungle and its people that was inexplicable.
sayings and/or actions. It is the ability to get whatever you want. Power is a