Aphorism Posterer

In fact, in one of his pieces "Self Reliance," Emerson indicates, "A man should learn to detect and watch that gleam of light which flashes across his mind from within, more than the luster of the firmament of bards and sages." This quote demonstrates that man should learn to go after their instinct and not ignore their thoughts. By appreciating Emerson's knowledge, students will learn to trust their instincts. Students who doubt their instincts should trust that "If [they] advance confidently in the direction of [their] dreams, and endeavors to live the life which [they have] imagined, [they] will meet with a success unexpected in common hour," and believe, that if they follow their dreams and instinct they will be successful (Thoreau). Students should fight for what they believe in order to accomplish their dreams. By utilizing Thoreau and Emerson's intelligence in life, people will start to believe more in their own intuition.

In “Self-Reliance”, Emerson adopts the rhetorical strategy of aphorisms to annex what he thinks by enriching his thesis, while allowing a pause in the reader’s mind to comprehend just what he is saying. Emerson’s honest aphorism advises people to actually believe in themselves in order to be triumphant by saying, “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 1) and “Trust thyself: every heart vibrates to that iron string” (Emerson 3). The aphorism demonstrates that believing in themselves, and what is important to them, the reader, is what everyone else does, that being an individual is a genius idea. Comparing this to what society, especially the younger individuals with in society, they themselves hear differently, that they

Starting with Emerson’s essay “Self-Reliance” and his focus on trusting one’s own instinct. He mentions that if you do not voice your thoughts and opinions as you to get them then someone else will. This would lead to your shame.

Emerson claims, “To believe your own thought...that is genius...A man should learn to detect and watch that gleam of light which flashes across his mind from within, more than the luster of the firmament of bards and sages”(14). In this quote, he states that we must be able to detect and live by what we believe and trust our own thoughts as we contain all the amount of wisdom needed to live and succeed.

It is important for each individual to value their own self reliance, opinion, experience, believe in themselves and be brave to do what they think is right. Believing in ourselves is the key to being successful. Emerson comments, “To believe your own thought, to believe that what is true for you in private heart is true for all men – that is genius.” (01). Emerson encouraged people to believe in themselves, no matter what others thought. Each individual’s mind has value and society has no power to control us. We were born to enjoy life, so we have the power to do what we think is right. Emerson also 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 with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude.” (05). People should stand up for themselves and

Self reliance is being shown throughout  Excerpts from “Self Reliance” by Ralph Waldo Emerson and Excerpts from “Resistance to civil government” by Henry David Thoreau. It is saying that you think for yourself; do for yourself. Emerson is explaining that you need to believe in yourself and use your gut. Thoreau demonstrates that you need to speak up for yourself because if you hold back and just keep it to yourself then you can't do anything about it.

Applying this context to “Self-Reliance,” Emerson believes we should reject conformity even if it means we are stigmatized or misunderstood by others. Emerson states that “to be great is to be misunderstood” (171). According to Emerson, I need to pursue my own ideas, even at the cost of being misunderstood. That means staying true to myself and rejecting the opinions of others. Emerson emphasizes the importance of emotion over reason and defines self-reliance as staying true to what I believe in and rejecting conformity. If I believe strongly about something, then I should stay true to myself by being able to think independently.

Emerson brings up many motivational and inspirational quotes in his essay Self-Reliance. He encourages readers to think for themselves, to trust themselves, to be good, and to not copy others. Emerson states how society has chosen for us rather than we chose what we want. In other words, Americans aren’t original, they don’t rely on themselves. They are afraid of failure, “If the young merchant fails, men say he is ruined.” If a genuis studies in school but does not get a spot in the office, then he or she will lose determination and confidence. On the other hand a person who’s gone to school and tried many professions has a positive chance of leading a better life. Emerson now argues that a self-reliant man needs religion, education, pursuits,

Freedom of speech is more than just the right to say what one pleases. Freedom of speech is the right to voice your opinion on certain topics or dilemmas around you. This basic right given to us in the First Amendment is being challenged by colleges who encourage “freedom of speech” with certain restrictions.

On the other hand, individualism itself is not virtuous for society. Ralph Waldo Emerson was a philosopher who believed that people should not rely on the community. Self-reliance was one of his major writing work about individualism, which is the opposite of Utopia. When talking about the economy, competition between civilians is necessary to make money. Therefore, society needs the individual's unique skills to progress. Emerson’s philosophy towards the individual emphasizes the importance an individual has for himself rather than accepting the thoughts of others. His philosophy of “trust thyself” provides the acceptance of what the "divine providence has found" for the person (Emerson 2) to encourage the individual to trust their gut. Emerson

Self-Reliance is a transcendentalist essay by Ralph Waldo Emerson. The essay was published in 1841 during the transcendentalist movement. It was a way for writers to respond to or protest the general state of intellectualism and even spirituality. He speaks in this essay about ways to avoid conforming and also how each person should follow their own instincts and ideas. Emerson split many of the topics in this essay into different sections. In one of the sections he speaks of the relationship between each individual and non-conformity and how each person can be self- reliant. Self-Reliance favors individualism, which promotes that people use their own thoughts and desires rather than that of a group.

Ralph Waldo Emerson’s “Self-Reliance” was written in 1841 in New England during the Transcendentalist Movement, which was a revolt against the “Age of Reason” and the beginning of Romanticism. Emerson’s essay is about Transcendentalism, the belief that every human has his own way of thinking and personal inborn knowledge to build his opinion, independent from the common beliefs of the community and he should believe in and express his opinion to be successful. Emerson supports the idea of Transcendentalism by urging his readers to trust their own ideas, beliefs and common sense, to listen to and to trust their inner voice and to hold the popular opinion back from influencing their way of thinking, if they want to be successful. He tells

For Emerson, self-reliance has many different facets. His main point is the importance of embracing individuality. He says, “not for nothing one face, one character, one fact, makes much impression on him [man], and another none. It is not with out pre-established harmony, this sculpture in the memory” (2). This idea of divine predestination is central to his argument for believing in oneself. He asks the reader to trust his or her own thoughts. After all, all great thoughts from all great thinkers were unique to them. The world could not have benefited from Plato, or Luther, or Christ, if they had not trusted their own instincts and believed them true for all mankind. These great men were able to live in the world as in solitude, walking and functioning among others while trusting their own thoughts and accepting the fact that they were often alone in them. Emerson warns against living in the past, repeating the thoughts of others. Instead he would rather one live for oneself in the present, for “power ceases in the instant of repose; it resides in the moment of transition from a past to a new state… This one fact the world hates, that the soul becomes; for that forever degrades the past…” (26).

In his essay Self-Reliance, Emerson claims that it is rewarding to an individual and society for people to have their own thought and believes because imitating individuals is not an act of being true to ourselves.

In “Self Reliance” Ralph Waldo Emerson explains that trusting one’s self and own decisions to do tasks alone without anybody’s opinion or influence from society is the key to being an individual and having individualism. One point Emerson brings up is that to imitate others is to kill one’s true self. I see this happening in society today with the judgmental nature of most people. Some are scared to act like their true self due to the opinions and unrealistic expectations from others, which cause them to act like someone they are not and copying others. Emerson is a strong believer on being original and never conforming to society’s ways even if it means taking negative criticism. With independence and originality being necessary ethics, Emerson’s validity of believing everybody should listen to their own voice, have wholesome self confidence to express own ideas and resistance to be like anyone else should hold true within every individual in the world. We should also see society in a positive way by believing it does not just have a negative influence like Emerson only discusses.