Self Reliance Essay Example

Self Reliance Essay Example Self Reliance Paper Self Reliance Paper The essay of Self Reliance by Ralph Waldo Emerson discusses the three major points of the self-contained genius, the disapproval of the world, and the value of self-worth. I really enjoyed reading this essay and I found several quotes that I found interesting and relatable. Emerson says, 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). This quote is making a claim about knowledge. It means that what e perceive as the truth is true for every person of mankind because the truth is absolute and with no variations. This idea is Justified by this quote, Voice of the mind is to each, the highest merit which means that our inner voice, our own thought, is the ultimate source of excellence (Emerson). Here is another quote that I found particularly interesting as well, A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines (Emerson). Here, Emerson s making another claim about knowledge. He is explaining how we are affected by society. We conform to what society thinks is cool. We begin to create a false persona, a foolish consistency, which makes us ignorant and narrow-minded. We forget who we are and get caught up in nonsense, and that is exactly what society thrives off of. I agree with the first quote that I used, I find it hard to accept that people dont have a genuine perception of reality. I trust that everybody has good in them and knows the pure truth of things. When I sincerely believe in something with my full heart I have no doubt that it is the complete truth of reality. Its hard to speak for other people because I dont know their thoughts, perceptions and beliefs but I still think that we all have some sort of commonality of perception within us. I strongly agree with my second quote as well. I think that every human being, especially in America has conformed to societies standards. It is almost impossible to not to get engrossed in everything thats going on around us. Now that I realize it, almost everything in my life is based on societal standards, thoughts and ideas. Although most people are conformists I think it is important to have introvert tendencies. We all need to escape the prospects of society. It is important to think for yourself and do things for yourself. I always try to stay grounded and true to myself in everything I do. : Emerson, Ralph W. Self-Reliance. Self-Reliance. N. p. , n. d. Web. 17 Nov. 2013.. Self Reliance By allielacocona