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Summary of self-reliance by Ralph Waldo Emerson
Self reliance essay by emerson
Summary of self-reliance by Ralph Waldo Emerson
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Oftentimes, people reach a point in their lives when they realize that they need to think for themselves and take responsibility for becoming who they are cut out to be. Whether or not they actually become that person is questionable. In Sickness Unto Death, Soren Kierkegaard argues that to become the "self" we must avoid despair and the influence of the world, and we must become what God wants us to be. In his essay, Self-Reliance, Ralph Waldo Emerson promotes the idea of individualism and how we must rely upon only ourselves and God to establish and support ourselves. I will first explain Kierkegaard’s idea of what it is to become a “self” then I will show the many parallels between Sickness unto Death and Self-Reliance. In Sickness unto Death, Kierkegaard stresses the importance of becoming a “self”. He explains the dangers of despair and of society. According to Kierkegaard, the “self ” is a synthesis of the finite and the infinite and of possibility and necessity. In order to become a “self”, a person must find and keep a balance between these states of being. The self is who a person is meant to be, no more and no less. A person should not attempt to become more than he or she is able to be, because he or she will always be chasing something that is unattainable. When a person does this, Kierkegaard says they are in infinitude’s despair. Whether people want to believe it or not, people are not equal in the eyes of the world. A person with one arm will never be as great of a guitar player as Clapton or Satriani. A blind person will not be able to play tennis as well people with vision. We should take Franklins advice that, “you can do anything you set your mind to” with a grain of salt, and realize that while we may be able t... ... middle of paper ... ...rs solitude to be of great importance in achieving an individualistic understanding. He writes, “It is easy in the world to live after the world's opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after our own; but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude.” Here it can be seen that Emerson also recognizes solitude to be a beneficial thing to people, but he argues that to be able to remain an individual within society is a far greater achievement. To be able to think without the assistance of society while enduring the pressures of society is to be truly great. It is evident that both Kierkegaard and Emerson take a strong stance that becoming who one is meant to be is of utmost importance. It can easily be seen that Kierkegaard and Emerson both agree that we should avoid society when establishing ourselves.
How to live one’s life is a question faced by any human being with relatively normal cognitive functioning. Some find beauty in every day life, reveling in something as simple as the gentle shaking of leaves dancing to the whispered song of the wind, or waking up to someone they have decided to spend the rest of their lives with. Others only see the mundane and the tedious, growing bitter and resentful as a relentless existential crisis latches on to the deepest parts of their psyche, casting a grim and ominous shadow over every thought and action. This probing question of how to live is at the forefront of Soren Kierkegaard’s “Either/Or: A Fragment of Life.” The aforementioned views are, indeed, reflected in the fragmented perspectives provided by Kierkegaard’s fictional characters, “A” and “Judge Wilhelm,” who perhaps reflect Kierkegaard’s own divided views. Love and companionship are at the crux of how to live for both A and Wilhelm, despite the glaring contrast between A’s calls for a hedonistic,
“The thing is to understand myself, to see what God really wishes me to do; the thing is to find a truth which is true for me, to find the idea for which I can live and die” (Kierkegaard 95). Søren Kierkegaard was a clear supporter of expressing our own personality. He wanted us to take the time to find our true selves. Even though he acknowledged there were social systems in our society, he still believed we were our own individual human being. The only way to make sense of our life and find our individuality is to embrace our faith in God. Kierkegaard wanted human beings to be able to exercise their freedom. Human beings should not postpone their choices simply because they do not know the universal truth. As humans we cannot postpone our choices because we will never
It is stated by Michel de Montaigne that “the greatest thing in the world is to know how to belong to oneself”. Becoming more individualistic is not a goal that can be attained within a day, month, or even a year. This goal can only be completed within a lifetime of hard work and dedication towards focusing on the individual and less on or society’s influential voice upon the individual. Emily Dickson “Some Keep the Sabbath Going to Church” and Robert Frost “The Road Not Taken” implement the idea of the individual. Dickinson and Frost exhibit a perspective of individualism and the self-worth while explaining how individuality can relate to the individual today.
One of the primary issues that Emerson tried to convey was that one must follow what they believe is true for themselves and not listen to what other people think. He states, “It is easy in the world to live after the world’s opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after our own; but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps perfect sweetness the independence of solitude(Emerson 151).” One of the definitions of the word “world” is “human society.” The word “opinion” means “a view, judgment, or appraisal formed in the mind about a particular matter.” By putting these words together, Emerson is implying that the “world’s opinion” is the general point of view accepted by most of society. Emerson also uses the word, “solitude” which means, “the quality or state of being alone or remote from society.” By also using the word “solitude” in this sentence, he shows a contrast between the majority (society), and the individual. What Emerson suggests is that if one can live in a world full of people who think a certain way because they were taught to believe that way, but still hold your own ground and follow what you believe, you are a great person.
In “Self Reliance” by Ralph Waldo Emerson, he promotes the importance of self reliance as an individual, and in society. Individuality to Emerson Opposed the traditional ideas of society, and to him it meant to oppose the conformity and consistency in society. He believes that the majority of people have given up their self reliance because of their fear of judgement by society. To be an individual, Emerson stresses that one has to be a risk taker, and disregard all things external.
However, this leads him into Solitude. Thoreau uses the word “Solitude” because it does not discover his loneliness or isolation. “Solitude is not measured by the miles of space that intervene between a man and his fellows” (Thoreau 914). The large amount of the universe put the space between the men in perspective and connects that to the relationship with nature. He sees solitude as being peaceful. Thoreau says that society is commonly too cheap (914). Therefore, he feels that people will take the easy way throughout life. Thoreau criticizes society for the way it prevents people from enjoying solitude. For example, Thoreau feels closer to God, to nature, and he learns the best thing in life is to simplify. Although Thoreau was isolated for two years, he still had the best of both worlds. Occasionally, Thoreau had visitors to actually come by while he was not there; they normally leave cards, walnut leaf or chip
I agree with the statement Benjamin Anastas makes about Ralph Waldo Emerson’s “self-reliance” of how it is “the most pernicious piece of literature in the American canon” (Anastas 602-603). One reason why I agree with Anastas is that Emerson believes the people are timid and apologetic and do not have opinions of their own. Another reason why I stand alongside Anastas is that Emerson thinks people are afraid of each other and the truth(s) that others have are but quotes from a saint or sage. My final reason that I believe Anastas is correct is due to Emerson believing our society does not gain anything new that makes life worth living.
The term solitude is often defined as the act or state of being alone, which in turn, is associated with loneliness and isolation. In Henry David Thoreau’s Walden, however, the term solitude takes on a much deeper meaning. To illustrate, Solitude is the fifth chapter in Walden, a book about self-discovery through acts of transcendentalism. Furthermore, this chapter is focused around the idea that solitude is rather a state of mind instead of a specific circumstance. According to Thoreau, solitude is found everywhere, and for the most part, people are often loneliest when surrounded by others. In other words, Solitude not only addresses how one can feel wholesome when isolated and immersed in nature, but also how one can feel entirely lonely when apart of meaningless interaction.
Ralph Waldo Emerson, nineteenth century poet and writer, expresses a philosophy of life, based on our inner self and the presence of the soul. Emerson regarded and learned from the great minds of the past, he says repeatedly that each person should live according to his own thinking. I will try to explain Emerson’s philosophy, according to what I think he is the central theme in all his works.
The tone of his work was focused on self-reliance and the problem of how to live. His writings provoked people to ask how instead of what and not we but I (Unger 1). Emerson’s essays spoke to people of the 19th century that were ready for individuality and a new optimism that liked God, nature, and man (Masterpieces 258).
Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind.” Emerson is a firm believer of maintaining self-reliance and values rather than following the crowd. He also explains that in order to be truly successful in life, a person must make decisions and trust in his or her judgment. In today’s society, teenagers are more likely to not be self-reliant because the teens feel they will be judged for having different beliefs. People today need to realize that they should not conform to be like the rest of the world, they must not depend on the judgment and criticism of others, and people must refuse to travel somewhere in order to forget their personal problems. Through Emerson’s piece, readers are able to reflect on how people in the world today must try to be independent of others and uphold their personal opinions and philosophy.
I believe that, essentially, life consists of a series of choices. A grouping of these choices in one direction or another makes us who we are, and ultimately we have control over our lives. What makes one person different from another is his own set of choices. When going through life’s motions, we develop certain worldviews and ideas and values to live by. We develop an opinion of what makes a person “great.” In the well-known essay “Self-Reliance”, Ralph Waldo Emerson provides a beautiful way of approaching these choices, and he reveals a very inspiring set of values centralized around going through life answering only to yourself. I love the way Emerson evaluates the society we live in, and how he radically encourages being misunderstood and nonconformist. Emerson, like myself, exhibits values of saying exactly what you think and living only by what you believe to be the best.
Emerson's message is one of non-conformity and individuality. He views every man as unique within, and feels society, exterior elements and tradition are man's downfall. He urges us to be a product of ourselves, to live in the present, rather than measure our worth against man's past accomplishments or live by old ideas.
Kierkegaard, a highly regarded philosopher of the 19th century, put to us the idea of living life in three different stages. He named these stages the Aesthetical, the Ethical and the Religious. He himself passed through each of the stages in his own lifetime and he adopted them as his own philosophy of human existence. The first two stages are characterized by a distinct set of beliefs and behaviors that are easily identified, whereas the last stage, the religious is characterized by a highly personal, subjective and non-rational ‘’leap of faith’’. The ideal is to progress from the aesthetical to the ethical, finally reaching the religious stage but as Kierkegaard himself realized, it is possible to regress or go back a stage. He said that he felt that he had never really left the first two, these stages were always there. He believed that one can move in and out and through all three stages within a lifetime. For the purpose of this essay I will explain each of the three stages in order to give an understanding of Kierkegaard’s philosophical theory of life. Also I will discuss why Kierkegaard considered the religious stage as the best kind of life for humanity and I will present to you some criticisms against Kierkegaard’s third stage.
Summarize in Emerson story “Self Reliance,” he talks about being an individual and not relying on others to shape you as a person or mold your ideas into their own. He said society has an effect on the growth of a person’s spirit. Emerson says “society everywhere is in conspiracy against the manhood of every one of its members.” This means society is shaping people to be the same and have the same values in life.